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<br />zoning district standards are vehicle sales
<br />lots, religious facilities, amusement centers
<br />and parks, golf courses, or commercial cen-
<br />ters. Consider replacing the conditional use or
<br />special exception process with a comprehen-
<br />sive set of specific standards for specific uses.
<br />. Create a hybrid zoning code by combining
<br />. traditional zoning with contemporary best prac-
<br />tices. Many of these practices are described at
<br />the end of this article.
<br />If you have carefully diagnosed your
<br />needs, the potential solutions will typically be
<br />easier to identify. Look back at the solutions
<br />you have implemented in negotiating indi-
<br />vidual development projects and consider how
<br />to incorporate these solutions into the,regula-
<br />tions. This will streamline the process, ensure
<br />that similar developments are treated in a simi-
<br />lar fashion, and avoid the conflict that can be
<br />inherent in negotiating design requirements.
<br />Consider the approaches in other jurisdictions
<br />in your region. Rnally, do not overlook publica-
<br />tions from the American Planning Association
<br />and others-models, guidebooks, and other
<br />books are an excellent source of ideas to meet
<br />your specific needs.
<br />Develop a detailed working outline. You
<br />have diagnosed the problems and identified
<br />likely solutions. Now that you know the desired
<br />outcome, you ca'n develop a detailed working
<br />outline for the code. The outline also forms a
<br />table of contents for the code; adding details
<br />and annotations provides clear direction for
<br />the task of writing. At this step, it is heipful
<br />to present the detailed working outlin,e to the
<br />reviewers to ensure that all ofthe issJes are
<br />.' i
<br />addressed. Each part oftheoutline b;comes
<br />a separate writing task, so the outlirle also
<br />serves asa detailed expansion ofthe work
<br />program for overhauling your zonj\lgicode.
<br />,," I.
<br />As you develop the detailed,^,~rking
<br />outline, consider the organizatio'nal structure
<br />of the zoning code. This is a good opportunity
<br />to reorganize the various sections into a more
<br />orderly code. As the code is amended overthe
<br />years, regulations on a particular topic may
<br />no longer be grouped together. Somethnes
<br />a simple change in the order bfthe sections
<br />will result in a document that is easier to use.
<br />During an overhaul you can accomplish b()th
<br />reorganization and an update or revision to the
<br />standards and procedures.
<br />Write, review, and rewrite. It is easy to
<br />become mired in the writing and rewriting pro-
<br />cess. One good method is to divide the writing
<br />into manageable parts and a logical order. For
<br />
<br />72
<br />
<br />
<br />Here is a good sequence of events for writ-
<br />ing and reviewing:
<br />
<br />1. Prepare the first draft of part one ("part"
<br />is used as a general label for a chapter,
<br />article, or section, depending on the
<br />organizational structure of your zoning
<br />code).
<br />
<br />z. Distribute the first draft of part one to
<br />reviewers. Reviewers may include other
<br />staff, planl"!ing commissioners, a citi-
<br />zens committee, or other working group.
<br />This is the group as'sembledto assist
<br />the writers in working out problems,
<br />ensuring internal consistency, and gen-
<br />erally vetting the product.
<br />
<br />3. During review of part one, prepare the
<br />first draft of part two.
<br />
<br />4. Hold a reviewing workshop on part one.
<br />"Compile the comments and hold for the
<br />later revision stage.
<br />
<br />5. Distribute the first draft of part two to
<br />reviewers.
<br />
<br />6. During review of part two, prepare the
<br />first draft ofpart three.
<br />
<br />7. Hold a reviewing workshop on part two.
<br />Compile the comments and hold for
<br />later revision stage.
<br />
<br />8. Continue these steps until all parts have
<br />been prepared in first draft, reviewed,
<br />and discussed in a workshop.
<br />
<br />9, Prepare a draft to include revisions and
<br />to combine all parts into a complete
<br />document.
<br />
<br />example, rewriting the definitions section of a
<br />code is better left to the end, while decisions
<br />about uses that are permissible in each zoning
<br />district should occur very early. Think about the
<br />organization of the code and coverthe funda-
<br />mentals first. Each time'a major part is written,
<br />
<br />
<br />In preparing the revised draft, consider
<br />the use of the "comments" feature in your
<br />word processing program. This is helpful
<br />to provide an immediate explanation to
<br />the reader as to the reason for the change
<br />orthe need for further discussion or alter-
<br />native approaches.
<br />
<br />it should be distributed for review. Do not wait
<br />until the entire zoning code is revised to begin
<br />a review. Part two should be written while part
<br />one is under review. This will keep the process
<br />moving. Reviewers and stakeholders will also
<br />be encouraged by the continual progress
<br />toward completion and will be more likely to
<br />continue their parti~ipation.
<br />It is very important to manage the revision
<br />or rewrite process carefully. Compi,le the review
<br />comments on each part, butdo not revise and
<br />redistribute early parts until everything has
<br />been written and reviewed once. Too many
<br />versions of a document will result in confu-
<br />sionand frustration. Managing the document
<br />process well is an important ingredient for
<br />success.
<br />. When all parts have been prepared and
<br />reviewed, the revision process can begin.
<br />Combine all individual parts into a complete
<br />documentand clearly identify the revisions.
<br />If the initial draft contains underlining and
<br />strike-through to show the changes, you need
<br />a different method to identify revisions in the
<br />second draft. A simple technique is double
<br />underlining and double strikethrough. While
<br />highlighting in color is useful, the color maybe
<br />lost in the duplication process or color print-
<br />ing may not be available to all who receive the
<br />digital files.
<br />Keep trackot"leftovers." As you revise,
<br />eliminate, and replace some or all of the zoning
<br />code, particular attention should be directed to
<br />the parts proposed for elimination. Duringthe
<br />rewrite, it is common to find significant dupli-
<br />cation of regulations and to eliminate them.
<br />You will also identify regulations that are out-
<br />dated or possibly no longer lawful. Whatever
<br />the reason, some parts will be left over in the
<br />process. Before casting these eliminated parts
<br />aside, keep a digital folder of all eliminated
<br />text. When you reach the point where all parts
<br />are revised and combined into a complete
<br />code, review this file of leftovers to verify that
<br />everything in the file is properly destined for
<br />elimination. This simple step can help you
<br />avoid embarrassment or even disaster when a
<br />needed regulation is inadvertently removed.
<br />Test the revised code against the initial
<br />diagnosis. Through the tracking system you
<br />devised, issues and problems should be
<br />constantly monitored as you write and revise
<br />the zo~ing code. However, at this step in the
<br />process, it is a good idea to return to the begin-
<br />ning and revisitthe initial diagnosis. Check
<br />the list of issues against both the working
<br />
<br />ZONINGPRACTlCE 12.08
<br />AMERICA PLANNING AssoclAnoN Ipage 4
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