Agenda - Planning Commission - 04/01/1997

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key victory at the state level by defeating the 1945 "Dills Bill," which would have banned the practice throughout the state. Instead, a group of practicing nudists organized a well-prepared defense for a hearing on the bill, arguing that theirs was a moral, cleant, and healthy lifest3qe. Since then, the popularity of the camps has grown steadily. The American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR), dating to 1931, has doubled its membership in the last 10 years ro 50,000 members, with 200 clubs, parks, and resorts. This growth is evident along the Gulf Coast in Pasco County, Florida, home to more nudist facilities than any other area in the country. The Florida Association for Nude Recreation says these resorts contribute significantly to the local economy as a major employer and income producer. As a result, the county supports the development and continuation of the nudist lifestyle. Pasco County handles nudist camps as planned unit developments. Regulation of these facilities is determined by the local zoning ordinance, which prescribes the t),pes of allowable uses in a specific district. However, the developer must acquire a conditional use permit under which the count), may impose separate regulations to relieve an), adverse impacts on the surrounding community. These may include: additional setbacks of structures and activities; additional plant or structural screening to buffer the area from surrounding uses; limits on the height, size, or illumination of signs; and limits on potential nuisances to adjoining property, such as the use of loudspeakers and external lighting. Requiring conditional use permits has not deterred the growth of these facilities. They are spreading even to such northern cities as Hershey, Pennsylvania; Rochester, New York; and Stockholm, New Jersey. If the AANR's growth in the past decade is an indication, even communities outside the Sunbelt may need ro anticipate such proposals in their zoning ordinances. Christopher Burke Call for Information Zoning News is requesting material on the regulation of facilities that include the combination ora gas station, drive-through restaurant, and/or convenience store on a single sire. Please send ordinances and review procedures to Laura Thompson, APA, 122 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 1600, Chicago, IL 60603; fax materials to 312-431-9985. Zo.ing News is a monthly newsletter published by thc American Planning Association. Subscriptions are a~'ailable for $50 (U.S.} and $65 (foreign). Frank S. So, Executive Director; William IL Klein, Director of Research. Zoni.g/~'eu,$ is produced ar APA. Jim Schwab. Editor; Chris Burke, Fay Dolnick, Michelle Gregoo', Sanjay Jeer, Megan Lewis. Doug Martin. Mav/a Morris, Martin Roupe, Aaron Sheffey, Laura Thompson, Reporters; Cynthia Cheski, Assistant Editor; Lisa Barton, Design and Production. Copyright ©1997 by American Planning Assoclarinn, 122 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 1600, Chicago, lL 60603. The American Planning Association has headquarters offices at 1776 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington. DC 20036. All rights resets, cd. No part of this publication may he reproduced or utilized in an5' form or by an)' means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and terrier'al syslem, without permission in 'a. riting from thc American Planning Association. Printed on recycled paper, including 50-70% rt. cycled fiber and 10% postcon~umcr waste. ~ o t GP ports The Hew Urbanism: Hope or Hype for American Communities? William Fulton. Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 1 ~3 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA 02138. October ~996. 32pp. $]4 plus $3.50 shipping and handling (50 cents for each additional copy; deduct 25 percentjqom price for ~0 or more copies). Andres Duany routinely dumps the local zoning code in the waste basket as part of his presentation on neotraditional planning. The act draws applause, Fulton says, but the obvious question is what will replace that code. This excellent summation of the strengths and limitations of the New Urbanism makes clear that it works better in some contexts than others and is most certainly dependent on the local planning and real estate market contexts for its success, This is an effective introduction to the subject for planners exploring the merits of this approach. Landscape Ecology Principles in Landscape Architecture and Land-Use Planning Wenche E. Dramstad, James D. Olson, and Richard T. T. aWorman. ]s/and ]~ress, Box 7, Dept. 2]?, Cove/o, CA 95428. 1996. 80pp. $~Z95. The meshing of human culture and the natural landscape is a subject that has gained renewed attention from planners recently, even though harmonious interaction is apparent in some very old village settlements around the world. Conveying basic principles to planners who must design for open space and wildlife preservation and understand how new subdivisions will affect landscape ecology is the object of this heavily illustrated volume, which keeps irs lessons basic and clear, avoiding scientific jargon. The Energy Yardstick: Using PLACE~S to Create More Sustainczble Communities U.S. Department of £nerffy, Denver Regio,a/ S~pport Office, 1~17 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401. August i996. l O pp. ]Tree. Produced for U.S. DOE's Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development, with program partners in the state energy agencies of California, Oregon, and Washington, this volume demonstrates the utility of an analytical system called Planning for Community Energy, Economic and Environmental Stability (PLACE3S). The three state energy offices cooperatively developed the method, which in part allows communities to see the interactive effect on energy consumption of a variety of planning, zoning, and development decisions that affect spatial relationships and their impact on commuting patterns, building energy consumption, and other related outcomes. As just one example, the energy-efficient siting techniques it illustrates affect wind flow patterns that change building heating and cooling needs. The whole approach lends some badly needed practicality to sustainable development concepts that too often have been short on measurability.