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<br />has been extended into other areas of the
<br />city, including Chinatown, Lincoln Heights,
<br />, the Hollywood and Koreatown CRA project
<br />areas, and Central Avenue between the
<br />Santa Monica Freeway and Vernon Avenue
<br />(enabled by a specific plan for that area)
<br />(Livable Plates, :?oOOS).
<br />Here is the purpose section forthe
<br />downtown adaptive reuse area:
<br />
<br />The purpose of this Subdivision is to revitalize
<br />the Greater Downtown Los Angeles Area and
<br />implement the General Plan by facilitating
<br />the conversion of older, economically dis-
<br />tressed or historically significant buildings to
<br />apartments, live/work units or visitor-serving
<br />facilities. This will help to reduce vacant.
<br />space as well as preserve Downt.own's archi-
<br />tectural and cultural past and encouragethe
<br />development of a live/work and residential
<br />com,munity Downtown, thus creating a more
<br />balanced ratio between hOUSing and jobs in
<br />the region's primary employment center. This
<br />revitalization will also facilitate the develop-
<br />ment of a "24-hour city" and encourage mixed
<br />commercial and residential uses in orderto
<br />improve air quality and reduce vehicle trips
<br />and vehicle miles traveled by locating resi-
<br />dents, jobs, hotels and transit services near
<br />each other. (Municipal Code, Chapter I, Sec-
<br />tion 12.22.A.26.a)
<br />
<br />, The criteria forapplyingthe adaptive
<br />reuse ordinance to downtown buildings in-
<br />clude the following:
<br />o The building was built beforeJuly 1,1974,
<br />in accordance with existing building and
<br />zoning codes; or
<br />o The building was built on or after July 1,
<br />1974, but it's been sitting vacantfor five
<br />years and the zoning administrator finds'
<br />that it is no longer economically viable as a
<br />commercial or industrial property; or
<br />· The building is designated ahistoric
<br />structure or contributes to a Historic
<br />Preservation Overlay Zone (Municipal Code,
<br />Chapter I, Section 12.22.A.26.d).
<br />
<br />For adaptive reuse projects in industrial
<br />districts in the downtown ar~a, the following
<br />conditions and findings are required:
<br />
<br />(0 Require that one or more signs or symbols
<br />of a size and design approved by the Rre
<br />D~partment are placed by the applicant at
<br />designated locations on the exterior of each
<br />Adaptive Reuse Project to indicate the pres-
<br />ence of residential uses:
<br />
<br />(ii) Limit the occupations permitted in joint
<br />living and work quarters to the follOWing:
<br />accountants: architects; artjsts and artisans;
<br />attorneys; computer softWare and multimedia
<br />related professionals; consultants; engineers;'
<br />fashion, graphic, interior and o,ther design- .
<br />
<br />ers: insurance, real estate and travel agents;
<br />photographers and similar occupations;
<br />
<br />(liO Rnd that the Adaptive .Reuse Project
<br />complies with the standards for dwelling
<br />units, guest rooms, and.ioint liVing andwork
<br />quarters set forth in Section 12.22 A.26.(O;
<br />
<br />(Iv) Rnd thatthe uses of property surrounding
<br />the proposed location of the Adaptive Reuse
<br />Project will not be detrimental to the safety
<br />and welfare of prospective residents; and
<br />
<br />(v) Rnd that the Adaptive Reuse Project will
<br />not displace viable industrial uses. (Municipal
<br />Code, Chapter I, Section 12.24.X.1.b.4)
<br />
<br />Metropolitan Government of Na~hville and
<br />
<br />Davidson County
<br />The Metropolitan Government of Nashville
<br />and Davidson CO,unty is fortunate to have
<br />
<br />one of the country's leading land-use plan-
<br />
<br />ners, Rick Bernhardt, FAICP, as the executive
<br />
<br />director ofthe Metro Planning Department.
<br />
<br />The regulations for adaptive reuse of com-
<br />
<br />mercial areas within the Urban Zoning
<br />
<br />Overlay District along arterial and collector
<br />
<br />streets are exemplary.
<br />
<br />The Urban Zoning Overlay District ordi-
<br />
<br />nance starts with this preamble:
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, there are existing, vacant non-resi-
<br />dential buildings and underutilized properties
<br />along arterials and collector roadways within
<br />the Metropolitan Government of Nashville
<br />and Davidson County as shown on the Major
<br />Street Plan:
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, residential uses would benefit
<br />existing, marginally viable commercial and
<br />retail areas by fostering pedestrian-oriented
<br />neighborhoods due to daily services, ameni-
<br />ties, and shops being located,within walking
<br />distance, if not within the same building as
<br />one lives thereby redUcing traffic on local
<br />, roads and interstates and in turn, improving
<br />the regional air quality by providing residen-
<br />tial densities along major transit commercial
<br />corridors; and,
<br />
<br />WHE~EAS, encouraging residential develop-
<br />ment where growth can be easily accommo-
<br />dated due to the long-term capital investment
<br />by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville
<br />and Davidson County in services and infra-
<br />structure will help to preserve Nashville's
<br />single-family neighborhoods and increase
<br />Nashville's housing stock. (Ordinance
<br />BL2004-492)
<br />
<br />The design standards are remarkably
<br />"loose":
<br />
<br />2. Design Standards.
<br />
<br />a. All Residential Uses: The standards of
<br />this section shall apply only to a building or
<br />portion thereof converted to residential use,
<br />and any addition to an existing building for
<br />residential use, where a minimum of 40% of
<br />
<br />the building's gross floor area is devoted to
<br />residential use, as explicitly shown on the
<br />approved final site plan under the authority of
<br />Section 17.40.170.A of this title, except as pro-
<br />vided below fornew construction. The stan-
<br />dards of this section shall not apply to any
<br />building proposing to devote less than 40%
<br />ofthe gross flo.or area to residential uses.
<br />
<br />b. Single-Family and Two-Family Residential
<br />Uses: Single-family and two-family uses shall
<br />be permitted only in an existing building or as
<br />part of a new mixed-use development within
<br />a single'structure.
<br />
<br />Otherwise, all other requirements and stan-
<br />dards established by other chapters of this
<br />title, as well as any other applicable metro-
<br />politan government, state orfederal regula-
<br />tiOn, shall apply to the development and use
<br />of properties shown on the final site plan.
<br />In case of conflict between the standards of
<br />this section and other chapters of this zoning
<br />code, the provisions of this section.shall con-
<br />trol, except for Council approved plans such
<br />as planned unit developments, urban design
<br />overlay districts, and redevelopment districts.
<br />(Metropolitan Code, Section 17.16.030.E.2)
<br />
<br />If further relief is needed, the applicant"
<br />
<br />can get a special exception from the Zoning
<br />Board of Appeals, which anhe same time-
<br />
<br />and this is smart-is prohibited from grant-
<br />
<br />ing variances for projects developed under
<br />
<br />the adaptive residential standards; where
<br />
<br />the variance would involve a PUD, the ZBA
<br />
<br />must consider the Planning Commission's
<br />
<br />recommendation.
<br />
<br />11. Alternative Design Standards. Where a
<br />proposed residential development cannot
<br />comply with the standards of this section,
<br />the applicant shall be required to submit for
<br />review by the Board of Zoning Appeals a spe-
<br />cial exception, in accordance with Sections
<br />17.16.140 and 17.16.150 of this Title. The mini-
<br />mum filing fee shall be equal to a commercial
<br />application as perthe adopted Board ofZon:
<br />ing Appeals fee schedule. In granting such ap-
<br />proval of a special exception application, the
<br />Board shaUdetermine that the applicant has
<br />demonstrated that the relief being requested
<br />will not be injurious to surrounding proper-
<br />ties, nor violates the adopted General Plan.
<br />The Board shall not act on any application
<br />without first considering a recommendation
<br />from the planning department. (Metropolitan
<br />Code, Section 17.16.030.E.ll)
<br />
<br />The board shall not grant variances to the
<br />land use provisions of Section 1;7.08.030, the
<br />density or floor area ratio (FAR) standards of
<br />Tables 17.12.020B and 17.12.020C, nor the
<br />req~irecd size of residential lots approved by
<br />the planning commission under the authority
<br />of Section 17.12.070, (Lot averaging), Sec-
<br />tion 17.12.080, (Cluster lot option) or Section
<br />17.36.070C (PUD), or residential development
<br />permitted by Section 17.16.030.E. Further,
<br />
<br />ZONING PRACTICE 12.09
<br />AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATlONlpage 5
<br />
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