Agenda - Planning Commission - 11/05/2009

Home

· comprehensive plans, especially their land use, transportation, environmental manage- ment, and pu~lic safety elements; · zoning and sul;Jdivision ordinances and other development regulations, including building and housing codes; and · capital improvement programs and infra- structure policies for extending water and sewer lines and building public facilities, such as roads and bridges. Resilience may also be encouraged . through economic development strategies, sector or neighborhood plans, and other initia- tives with hazard-related land-use implications. Finally, resilience is a goal of the Local Hazard Mitigation Plans required of state and federal governments by the Federal Emergency Man- agement Agency (FEMA) under the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 as a condition of eligibil- ity for federal hazard mitigation grants. PRINCIPLES OF SAFE GROWTH Safe growth is not a complicated concept. Citi- zens and decision makers readily understand and value the protection of public safety. Safe growth basics can be summarized in a few simple p'rinciples. Create a Safe Growth Vision The touchstone of a safe growth strategy is a vision of how the community intends to grow in a safe manner-a picture of a future com- munity safe from natural hazards. Creating such a vision depends upon an inclusive com- munity dialogue about hazard exposure and vulnerability, coupled with frank discussion about the ways in whiCh growth is likely to in- crease risks. The discussion should !3cknowl- edge that public intervention may be neces- sary to mitigate risk, and should ask how existing plans, polides, and programs might be changed to accomplish such mitigation. In order to broaden public participation in the discussion, it could be held in conjunction with other community visioning processes, such as those held during comprehensive or strategic plan revisions. . Guide growth away from high-risk loca- fions. The starting point for a safe growth analysis is mapping existing hazard areas. These high-risk locations-fault zones, flood zones, hurricane-prone areas, erosion zones, wildfire zones-point out where development should be discouraged or allowed only with special protections from building codes or other reglllations. Any public actions that ignore their impacts on development in such high-risk locations should be identified as contributors to unsafe growth. Similarly, any public actions aimed,at redevelopme~t in such locations should be scrutinized for their potential to increase risk. Locate critical fac/lities outside high-risk zones. Critical facilities should be protected from hazard risks. Continued operation ofwa- ter and sewer systems, roads and bridges, hos- pitals and medical facilities, power plants, and public safety facilities is critical to safe growth. Such facilities should be designed and sited ZONINGPRACTICE 10.09 AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION Ipage 3 67