|
~0
<br />
<br />,~. packet o£ farm stand ordinances, incJuding chose discussed
<br />[n chis article, is available :o Zoning News readers by
<br />contacting Michael Davidson, Editor, Zoning News,
<br />American Planning Association, t22 South Michigah
<br />Avenue, Suite 1600, Chicago, ~L 60603, or send an ~-maii to
<br />mdavidson@?lanning, org.
<br />
<br />NI:WS BRIEi:S
<br />
<br /> Montgomery County Mulls Housing Overhaul
<br /> A report released Last month by the Montgomery County,
<br /> Map/land, Council indicated chat the counc/s Moderate!y
<br /> Priced Dwelling Unit (MPDU) progr~ - a m~dam~y
<br /> mclusionary zoning progr~ - migh~ be in need of ~ overha~.
<br /> The MPDU o~nance reqmms developers of 35
<br /> housing ~nirs ro set ~ide ~r [ea~r [2.5% of the anir~ ~or ~ow- or
<br /> mo&rare-income residents. [n return. Gr r~e M~ordab[e housing
<br /> ser~ide, deveioper~ receive a densi,/bonus ro o~ser the costs
<br /> bulling ~e MPDUS. T~e ordinance ~so ~lows For ~rernarive
<br /> agreements in excepdonai cases, in which developers are
<br /> pertained ro conrribum mone5 [and, or o~'f-sire ~ordable
<br /> housing units in lieu of building the required MPDUs on-sire.
<br /> .~ternarive agreemen~ might be warranced
<br />deveiopmenrs have high homeowner associason ~"~es ~nd in
<br />high-rise developments wk~ higher construction costs, unusu~
<br />sire cansrr~nrs, or height restrictions. ~owever, ~e report says
<br />~ar the co~v/'s Housing Opportunities Commission believes
<br />char the ~greemenrs ~e being over-ariiized and thai cee price
<br />received Gr each MPDU ~s nor
<br /> Mone7 received from MPDU buyours ge toro a ~nd
<br />used co construct ~fordable housing. Ho~vever, council member
<br />Phil ,~drews says, "The problem is char ~e mgne7 that
<br />received ~om Ce buyour ~s nowhere ne~ what it r~es co buitd
<br />~ a~ordable unit." Accor~ng co council member Tom Perm,
<br />"~e could have ~ice a many MPDUs if we didn't have chis
<br />buyour provision."
<br /> ,Mmosr k~f of the req~red MPDUs in 2002 ased ~ternarive
<br />agreements instead of providing ~rdable housing on-site.
<br />· e sk ~rernarive agreements char the Moargomer7 Counp/
<br />Department of Housing ~d Communi~ Deveiopmenr entered
<br />into in 2002, {our were For high-dsc developments that were
<br />subject ro height restrictions. In each of these tees, part
<br />MPDUs were provided on-site, and a payment of 321,000 was
<br />made co the Housing Initiative Fund for each oF the rem~ning
<br />units, in one development, the MPDU set-aide requirement
<br />w~ 124 units, and only 40 units were actual17 constructed on-
<br />site. Perez indicated char most of the buyours occurred in
<br />we~d~7 xre~ of the
<br /> ,M~ough Ce urinate reqmr~ ~ternadve agreement paymen~
<br />~ar will produce "signifi~dy more" MPDUs ~ co~d be built
<br />on-sire, ~e progr~ lacl~ a consistent method ~br c~c~adag
<br />~remadve MPDU paymena. For emnple, one developer in ~996
<br />p~d a buyour orS100 000 per unit, ~d in I998 ~orker developer
<br />p~d $13,~48 per ,~r..Mternadve agreement paymen~ ringed
<br />from ~18,000 ro $21,000 per unit in 2002.
<br /> Perez md ,~drews have proposed a bill ~har would eliminate
<br />the Mrernarive agreement provision in the MPDU ordinance.
<br />According co Perez, the proposed bill ~'w[l[ lead co an expansion
<br />o[ the number oFMPDUs constructed, ar a rime when more
<br />a~ordabie units are badtv needed." Rebecca Rerz[a~
<br />
<br /> Smart Growth Zoning C~des:
<br />A Resource Guide
<br />&eve Fra~/. Local Gove~menr Commission, 1414 ~ Sr., Suite 500,
<br />Sa~amenro, ~ 95814. Orin~ 2003. 80pp. $25 pius
<br /> (] 5 perc~nr in O~Z ), iht&des CD-RORZ Order on~ine ~om
<br />
<br /> Whac exactly is a "smart gro~ zoning code"? According
<br />the introduction ro this spiral-bound volume, ir promotes
<br />s~le oF deve!opmenr &ar w~ once common in ~erica, bur
<br />w~ lc& behind in the prolonged post-war suburb~
<br />deveiopmenr boom." In ae~ly 70 pages of ex--pies from
<br />communities nationwide, the rev/first set involves codes
<br />seeNng co promote cradidonM neighborhood deveiopmear.
<br />Others provide ~br mixed-use and [Ne/work semngs,
<br />oriented deve[opmenc, ~d szraregies ~r ~tering street and
<br />block design. A useGl Feature is nor only ~e defiling of each
<br />code's strengths bur a paragraph c~led "More dermis" ~ar
<br />highlights porenri~ problem are= or we~esses ~at detract
<br />~3om stared go~s. T~e CD~ROM includes lin~ co online codes,
<br />a model neighborhood devdopmenr code, and the
<br />Prindples for More Livable Communities.
<br />
<br />Health ~nd {ommuni~ Design:
<br />The Impact a~ the Built Environment
<br />
<br />[s[a~d P~ess, !7j8 Co~ecr~c~ Ave., ~ ~. Suite 300, W~hi~on,
<br />DC 20009. 2003. 2~8 p~. Available :Oom Planners Book &trice.
<br />$28 /~r ,~A members.
<br /> in a convincing c~e related ~o numerous current initiatives,
<br />including ~A~ own research project, Planning and Desiring
<br />&e Physically Active Communi~, for rhe Rober~ Wood
<br />Foundation, the authors demonstrate ~e public he~rh problems
<br />we have wrought ~ a socie~ wi~ our auto-dependent
<br />communiv/design, bur ~e7 ~so offer some perspectives on
<br />ways our of the trap. They argue ibrce~ull7 that simply
<br />making ir hoc only possible, bu~ desirable, ~r peop[e m get
<br />basic exercise by wa[king.-to stores and amenities f}om rkeir
<br />homes will increase physical ~rness and reduce the incidence
<br />of diseases associated with obesir7 and lack of exercise.
<br />Zoning, as c~e regulator~ instrument of communi~ design,
<br />of course plaFs a powerful role co which planners s~ouid
<br />devote some serious attention.
<br />
<br />Zvning i'lvw~ is a monthly newsiester published by the.a, wnerican Pbnning.~socJarion.
<br />Subscrtptions are available for $65 (U.S.} and sgo (foreign}. W. Paul Farmer. )dct', Executive
<br />Director: William R. ~ein, ^l¢p. Director oi:Re~earch.
<br />
<br />Zonin.g Newt is produced a~ APA, jim Schwab, amp, and Michael Davi~on, Editom Barry Bain,
<br />~m,", .nay Oolnick, Josh Edward~. Saniay jeer, ^m?. Megan Lewis, ^ltv, Marya Morris,
<br />Rebecca Retzlal'T,, ^lc,~. Lynn M. Ros~, Reporrem Kachleen Qmrs(eld, ,M~is~ant £disor; Li~a
<br />8accon, Design and Pradttcrion.
<br />
<br />Copyright 'O2003 by American P!anning Association, 122 S. Michigan Ave., Suite
<br />Chicago, £L 40603..The American Ptanning rLqsocianon also has office* at [776 Mas~achusmrs
<br />Ave,, N.W., Warhing¢on, DC 201}36; t~-w, pianning, org
<br />
<br />~l righls rexerved, No part of this pubtication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any
<br />tneans, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, ar by any m~brmadon storage
<br />~nd retrieval ~ysrem, ',vi~hour permission in writing from the American PlanmngAssociafion,
<br />
<br />Printed an recycled paper inc ud ng 50-70% rew/cJed, fiber
<br />md [0% postconsumer waste.
<br />
<br />
<br />
|