Agenda - Planning Commission - 12/06/2007

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Why Do Site Plan Review? By Leslie S. Pollock, FAICP, and Arista Strungys, AICP The short answer is that site plan review makes for better development. . .-..---- @ When conducting site plan review with a ;---., ...........1. traditional Euclidean zoning ordinance / -.......... ../! afthe.si~p'lan.. / >- i : -. l!~~-:'~G . {/ ! ! t ; ..... . :~~- "" /f I fj..~.; .:. .,' ".:0:.' I l ;;,',~)S .:: ~.~~ I : . . : I I , B-2IZ~N NG! j ~._b.r=:l_L, _ ____.Lu_______ l . ._",J '. [, \. - ,.....::..;, r., \ " Group A ArchItects. Ltd. & Village Center Development, InCo s It is a way to ensure that development pro- posals meet development policies and regu- lations as well as commonly accepted design practices within a community. It allows the community to look at elements above and beyond those established by the zoning ordinance. Zoning regulations create the three- dimensional building envelope and set basic site layout standards. But by their nature, these regulations cannot be site specific- instead, they establish general regulations for every parcel within a particular district. Site plan review allows a, community to look at the specific location of the use or structure; the layout ofthe site, including pedestrian and auto circulation; and the materials used throughout the development-from the build- ing materials to the landscaping. It drills down 70 through the intent of zoning regulations to the level of a specific parcel. Site plan review allows both quantitative and qualitative assessment based on stan- dards, principles, and guidelines with various levels of discretion. The end result of the process is the implementation of community aesign and development policies, which have been tailored to fit the realities of a site. The process verifies that new development con- forms to the comprehensive plan policies, zoning and subdivision regulations, and com- munity design policy-whether articulated specifically through'design guidelines or downtown plans, or through context assess- ment a.e., the development's compatibility with its neighbors). Site plan review also cre- ates a forum where technical planning issues can be resolved. The first step in creating a site plan review process for any community is to deter- mine what it intends to review. This is decided on the basis of two key factors-the current physical development state of the community and the type of zoning ordinance in place. Clearly there are very different concerns and issues between a built out community dealing primarily with infill development ver- sus a community dealing with significant greenfield development~ While a built out community may be primarily concerned with issues of preservation, a community with room to grow may be concerned with issues of placemaking. The site plan review process must be sensitive to the policies of the com- munity. For example, when a built out commu- nity maintains a historic central business dis- trict, a site plan review process will need to ZONING PRACTICE 11.07 AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION I page 2