Plan Implementation Flashcards
Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z)
Commission is required to issue recommendations in matters of zoning. These recommendations are made to a governing body (e.g., the City Council or County Commissioners). In other cases, P&Z renders final approval of cases.
The Planning and Zoning Commission is made up of community residents and business owners. Members are appointed by the governing body.
The Planning and Zoning Commissioners read staff reports, visit sites prior to meetings, and come prepared to participate in discussions with applicants at P&Z meetings
The Board of Zoning Appeals, also sometimes referred to as the Board of Zoning Adjustment or the Zoning Board of Adjustment
Quasi-judicial board that hears cases for variances, special exceptions to the zoning ordinance, and appeals of staff’s administration of the zoning ordinance.
The governing body appoints members to the board. As with the Planning and Zoning Commission, members are community members who volunteer their time
Zoning map color: Yellow
Single-Family Residential
Zoning map color: Orange
Multi-family Residential
Zoning map color: Red
Retail & Commercial
Zoning map color: Green
Parks
Zoning map color: Purple
Industrial use
Zoning map color: Blue
Institutional use
Two ways zoning can be changed
Amendment to text, amendment to map
Euclidean Zoning
Division of uses with most protective restrictions on residential land uses; has led to suburban sprawl
Cumulative Zoning
Each successive zoning district allows all the uses from the previous zones
Modified Cumulative Zoning
Cumulative zoning, but more restrictions in certain zones, like industrial
Permitted use
If use is listed as permitted in zoning code, the use can take place without having to ask city for permission
Conditional use
If use is listed as conditional, have to ask city for permission. If approved they’ll be granted a “conditional use permit” aka special use or specific use permit
Two ways to issue conditional use permit
Run with the land: any new user is required to follow the same conditions
Run with the ownership: offers the community an opportunity to review the circumstances if ownership or use changes
Nonconforming use
property use that existed prior to the adoption of district regulations and is allowed to continue under the “grandfather clause.”
Amortization
sets a definite period of time within which the use must come into compliance with the zoning ordinance
overlay district or zone
Set of additional restrictions placed over the top of an existing zone. Two common overlays are for airports and historic preservation
Variance
change in the terms of the zoning regulations due to economic or physical hardship. There are two types of variances: a use variance and an area variance
use variance
allows a property to build and maintain a use not explicitly allowed under the zoning district regulations
area variance
allows a property to be excluded from the physical site requirements under the zoning ordinance
Big-box retail
50,000 or more square feet in a large box
Conformance-based evaluation
the more outcomes (like land use patterns) conform with plans, the more successful the plan has been
Performance-based evaluation
The achievement of end-state goals are not the main concern. Any result that is deemed desirable could be considered a success.
Strategic Plan
A plan for the organization and not for the municipality as a whole; many communities use strategic plans in place of comprehensive plans; typically short term (few years)
Comprehensive Plan
Geographic score - entire municipality, usually long term, links long-range objectives to a number of interdependent elements
Goal
Value-based statement describing future condition
Goal-setting hierarchy
Goal –> objective –> policy –> criteria –> measure
