Agenda - Planning Commission - 02/02/2012

Home

and residential uses may exist, it is generally easier to apply the TOD district within a gen- eral quarter -mile radius. In more suburban areas, mapping of the district will need to take into account the existing conditions. For example, where stable residential neigh- borhoods abut the transit stop, the district should "jog" along the boundaries of these existing neighborhoods. In these cases, it may be mapped only along corridors adja- cent to the transit station. Mixed Use Districts: Many land -use plans acknowledge the benefits of mixed use development and contain numerous policies that encourage such redevelop- ment. These can also range from districts that mix residential and commercial uses to an industrial and commercial mix. In response, a zoning ordinance will need the proper districts to foster this type of devel- opment. Because mixed use development allows for a variety of uses, the creation of nonconformities is Less of an issue during remapping. First, existing mixed use areas should be identified. Remapping these areas to a mixed use district will encourage continued investment by allowing such development by- right. Areas where abutting districts have begun to blend together should also be considered for mixed use zoning. This e Showing the equivalences on zoning maps helps the public understand that district renamings do not necessarily affect district regulations. Areas of Change t tiro Fran A to R1 O Fran B to R 1 CO Change From D to RI cha9e Frocn E to iii c a eFrostotoG1 E) Mono e From G to C2 frequently occurs, for example, when a commercial district abuts a Light industrial district and the two types of uses coexist peacefully. In these cases, mixed use devel- opment often serves as a good transition between districts. Also, mixed use development does not have to be encouraged only by remapping to one specific district. In some cases, a mixed use environment is created by care- ful mapping of different residential and nonresidential districts. For example, in certain areas there may be neighborhoods of residential development that directly abut a small - scale, local commercial corridor, creating a mixed use environment where residents walk to the local grocery store. In these instances, the mixed use environment is created by mapping the commercial cor- ridor as a local commercial district and the residential area as residential. Campus Districts: When a community has significant institutional uses, such as a university or major medical center, a common zoning technique is to create a campus district for the use. Because of the numerous activities and uses that take place within such a Large institution, a special zoning district can make regulation easier for both the institution and the municipal- ity. This approach gives the institution more flexibility in development and frees the municipality from having to process special uses or variances for simple changes to the campus. Rezoning to these districts should be coterminous with the boundaries of the campus and only permitted for proper- ties owned by the institution. If additional property is purchased after the district is mapped, the map will need to be amended to incorporate that area. Overlay Districts: In older ordinances overlay districts have frequently functioned as a way to address immediate concerns in specific geographic areas. In many ways, they are a fast - and -dirty solution to a hot - button issue. However, as part of a comprehensive zoning update, overlay dis- tricts should be carefully evaluated for their usefulness. While the intent of an overlay district is important to a neighborhood this can get lost in the myriad regulations that now apply to a zoning lot once overlay districts are in place. This makes the or- dinance difficult to use and interpret. The first step is to see if the regulations within the overlay district can be consolidated into one or more base districts or perhaps made into a new base district. Then the area should be rezoned to the appropriate base district, whether a revised district or a newly drafted one. Camiros, Ltd., and the Village of La Grange Park, Illinoi 7 Zoning Districts R -1A Single-Family Residers District .._ R•1 Single-Family Residence District Two- Parrily Residence District R -3 Multi-Family Residence district R -4 Multi =Family Residence District 1 Cernimcial District C - 2 Commercial District M.1 Manufacturing District ( institutional OS Open Space District ZONINGPRACTICE 12.11 AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION I page5