|
<br />"
<br />
<br />, '<~pJiANNIN'G'N'EWSLc'iTER:~'l:: ,,' ',~,:"/~/"'~:'~_:'''' 'r' ~'>Itf'-"-:~?<'<J t '1,t".:f:~~."; ,
<br />". ,',', ".. .) ~'~:.', '; ~i\' ~':';"';.." ~'>'.:~~~'~:'."'.,:':: ,~: ~ :;', " ",~, :. ~~ - 4t:',~ :tv'> ,~,'::'."f ~.:'
<br />; , . ':'~'.,--1!LocallPlannl.ng'A~sistan~e. :..,,', 'f :' .' :1 i;;;':,' c ': " t;:f ','. :.,' J: .::, c' ",.,~ ':~ ,n' '.' '.' " .':," !. ,'l
<br />" \c . ~ .' -r.../ ~ .~ ~ ... ~~ C ~~J. .... ~..", .. . H:J~ .;~t^::.i.~~.~:~.:~>~- ,~\ ~ :.' ".. ~~_~.~'~':-:<':.;: t( ~ ~ ~~r~ ~~ ~r}< ,(~ 'E. '/...~~" ~ :",:
<br />
<br />.
<br />.
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />November 1980, No. 11
<br />
<br />LOCAL PLAN AMENDMENT GUIDELINES:
<br />A PERSPECTIVE ON THE ISSUES
<br />
<br />EditO'r's NO'te: The Council's wO'rk O'n develO'ping
<br />IO'cal plan amendment guidelines has generated a great
<br />deal O'f discussiO'n and debate during the past six
<br />mO'nths. Due to' this interest, seven people whO' have
<br />actively participated in the guidelines process have
<br />been asked to' vaice their O'piniO'ns an the matter. The
<br />individuals represent a range ofin-teres-ts tbFOughout
<br />the MetrO'PO'litan Area. .
<br />
<br />TO' prO'vide an histO'rical perspective, CO'uncil staff has
<br />summarized the prO'cess and the majO'r guideline
<br />alternatives belaw.
<br />
<br />LOCAL PLAN AMENDMENT GUIDELINES:
<br />BACKGROUND
<br />
<br />During the past six mO'nths, the Council has been
<br />wO'rking O'n guidelines it WO'uld use to' review amend-
<br />ments to' camprehensive plans that cities, tawns and
<br />cO'unties have prepared in respanse to' the Metrapalitan
<br />Land Planning Act. The law presently prO'vides that
<br />"any amendment to' a plan O'r prO'gram subsequent to
<br />the Council's review (O'f the O'riginal plan O'r prO'gram)
<br />shall be submitted to' and acted UPO'n by the Council
<br />in the same manner as the O'riginal plan O'r prO'gram. "
<br />, If plan amendments were to' fO'llO'W the same pro-
<br />cedure as the O'riginal plan, it WO'uld mean that each
<br />plan amendment WO'uld have to be submitted to
<br />adjacent and affected jurisdictiO'ns at least six mO'nths
<br />priO'r to submissiO'n to' the Council, and then submitted
<br />to' the Council. The Council WO'uld have 120 days to
<br />review the amendment and issue a written statement
<br />O'f its findings priO'r to lacal adO'ptian O'f the amend-
<br />ment. The Council's review findings WO'uld include
<br />the follO'wing:
<br />1. Comments O'n the apparent consistency O'f plan
<br />amendments with adO'pted chapters O'f the
<br />Metrapalitan DevelO'pment Guide.
<br />
<br />2. Comments O'n the cO'mpatibility O'f plan amend-
<br />ments with the plans O'f adjacent and affected
<br />jurisdictians.
<br />
<br />3. DeterminatiO'n O'f cO'nfarmity with metrO'PO'litan
<br />systems plans (airpO'rts, transPO'rtatiO'n, sewers.
<br />parks and O'pen space).
<br />
<br />The Council may require a IO'cal gavernmental unit to
<br />mO'dify a plan amendment which may have a sub-
<br />stantial impactO'n O'r cO'ntain a substantial departure
<br />frO'm the abave metrO'PO'litan systems plans.
<br />
<br />D 2- - A.---
<br />
<br />
<br />The CO'uncil's general abjective fO'r plan amendment
<br />guidelines is to' set up a speedy review pracess, cam-
<br />pared with the review process fO'r the O'riginal plans,
<br />yet comply with the statutary requirement that
<br />plan amendments be adO'pted "in the same manner"
<br />as the O'riginal plans. Several alternative ways to'
<br />accO'mplish this O'bjective have been examined during
<br />the past six months.
<br />
<br />The initial idea in developing plan amendment review
<br />guidelines was based an certain "threshO'lds" which
<br />defined plan amendments required to' be submitted
<br />fO'r CO'uncil review. The review process by adjacent
<br />jurisdictiO'ns was to' be shartened from six mO'nths to
<br />30 days. A public hearing an this alternative was held
<br />O'n July 31, 1980. The resPO'nse at the hearing was
<br />that the threshalds wauld nO't effectively screen O'ut
<br />majO'r plan amendments fram minO'r O'nes. There
<br />was cO'nsiderable cancern abO'ut the length O'f the
<br />review process and alsO' a request that the pracess be
<br />streamlined SO' O'nly majar amendments with patential
<br />metropolitan system impact wauld be reviewed.
<br />
<br />During the mO'nths fallawing the hearing, Cauncil
<br />staff met frequently with an ad hO'C cO'mmittee O'f
<br />IO'cal planners to develO'P a mO're wO'rkable appraach.
<br />FrustratiO'n with the threshO'lds prO'mpted many O'f
<br />the planners to' suggest that this apprO'ach be drO'Pped.
<br />that all amendments be submitted fO'r review, and
<br />that effO'rts be cO'ncentrated O'n an expedited review
<br />prO'cess. The planners alsO' recO'mmended the develO'p-
<br />ment of a "plan amendment werksheet" to' prO'vide a
<br />cO'mmO'n fO'rmat fO'r transmitting amendments to
<br />the CO'uncil. The wO'rksheet WO'uld help speed the
<br />review pracess and prO'vide the IO'cal unit with the
<br />O'PPO'rtunity to' evaluate and state its findings O'n the
<br />impact O'f the change O'n metrO'palitan systems.
<br />
<br />When Council staff described the abO've apprO'ach to
<br />the Council's Physical DevelO'pment Committee,
<br />the cammittee expressed cO'ncern abaut requiring
<br />all amendments to' be submitted priar to' adaptiO'n.
<br />It asked staff to develO'P same alternatives to' this
<br />appraach.
<br />
<br />The staff returned to' the cO'mmittee with three
<br />alternatives. Alternative 1 cO'nsisted O'f the ane
<br />suggested by the planners: all amendments to' IO'caI
<br />cO'mprehensive plans WO'uld be submitted to' the
<br />Council far review priar to' IO'cal adaptiO'n. This
<br />appraach WO'uld eliminate the prO'blem O'f defining
<br />threshO'lds. and WO'uld alsO' keep the Council informed
<br />O'f all plan changes. Current plan infO'rmatian is
<br />impartant because the Council uses the plans as a
<br />basis to' review and rank grant applicatiO'ns.
<br />
<br />1
<br />
|