Agenda - Planning Commission - 02/02/2012

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the following suggested principles are intended help decision makers evaluate potential zoning changes. Typically, much of the current zoning map will not change drastically during remapping. Many of the current zoning districts will be retained, with only minor modifications to bulk, setback, and design standards, to better address existing development patterns and conditions. Maintain current zoning districts in their present locations where controls are appropriate for current development patterns and there is no desire for change. Many of the current zoning districts likely provide the desired level of control regard- ing the type of development, form, and design character of the area, as well as the uses desired. While there may be some text adjustments to fine -tune the district, the current mapped location of these districts serves the development goals of the long- term future and, therefore, should not be adjusted. Often, as part of the fine- tuning pro- cess, district names are changed to reflect modern zoning conventions. For example, older ordinances may have named districts sequentially by letter (A, B, C, etc.). An or- dinance revision will usually rename these new districts by major land -use category, such as RI for residential districts, Ci for commercial districts, and so forth. In this case, the remapping should present these renamed districts as "equivalenced" dis- tricts to ease concerns over changes. In equivalencing, the new zoning districts are equated to the old districts (e.g., A District = Ri District). The map should be redrawn to illustrate the equivalenced districts, including a Legend that shows these equiva- lences. This will illustrate the areas where zoning will not change in content, only name, and will put many community mem- bers' minds at ease. Rewrap areas of the municipality to reduce nonconformities. Certain areas of a municipality may have been inappropriately mapped or developed differently over time than currently zoned, creating nonconformities. One of the goals of a comprehensive zoning revision, for both text and map, is to reduce nonconformities, which confirms the integrity of the zoning ordinance and map, creates predictability and consistency in the application of the or- dinance, and reduces the need for variances. Certain areas may have been mapped so that they do not actually reflect the de- tails of development in that area. In some communities, an older land -use policy may have tried to reduce the density of resi- dential areas, but development proceeded in accordance with the density established by the lots of record. Thus, many proper- ties in these areas are nonconforming in regard to lot area, lot width, or some other Never mapping and datagathering techniques such as GIS make it possibte to remap areas to bring them into conformity, either by amending criteria to make them more responsive to existing conditions, mapping to a different district, or by creating a'new district. factor affecting density. Newer mapping and data - gathering techniques such as GIS have allowed for a more rigorous and cost - effective assessment of these types of conditions. This makes it possible to remap areas to bring them into conformity, either by amending the criteria within existing zon- ing districts to make them more responsive to existing conditions, mapping to a dif- ferent district, or by creating a new district that reflects such conditions. This can also be the case with nonconforming uses. An established commercial area may be zoned residential, making the commercial uses nonconforming. A rezoning to the appropri- ate commercial district would allow these areas to continue as a business district. ZDNINGPRACTICE 12.11 AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION i page 3