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ASK THE AUTHOR JOIN US ONLINE!
<br />Go online during the month of August to participate in our "Ask the
<br />Author" forum, an interactive feature of Zoning Practice. Douglas
<br />Hammel, AICP, will be available to answer questions about this article.
<br />Go to the APA website at planning.org and follow the links to the Ask
<br />the Author forum. From there, just submit your questions about the
<br />article to the active thread. After each thread closes at the end of the
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<br />the Ask the Author forum.
<br />About the Author
<br />Douglas Hammel, AICD, is a senior associate with Houseal Lavigne
<br />Associates, where he manages projects that span the range of urban
<br />planning, design, land use, zoning, and community development.
<br />His recent work leverages his 15 years of professional experience in
<br />architecture, urban design, land -use, and transportation planning to
<br />help communities bridge the gap between a vision and regulations
<br />that result in a desired end.
<br />zoning question: "What do we need our zoning
<br />to do in order to get us from what we have now
<br />to what we want to be?" Answering this ques-
<br />tion will allow the community to keep an open
<br />mind about what approach, or combination of
<br />approaches, is most appropriate in different
<br />parts of the community. At its most basic level,
<br />zoning intervention can be used in three ways
<br />to implement a local vision: calibration, mod-
<br />ernization, and transformation.
<br />Calibration is the use of zoning to build
<br />upon what is already on the ground, while
<br />making small adjustments that allow for mar-
<br />ket alignment, reinvestment in existing struc-
<br />tures, and overall usability of the code.
<br />Modernization is the use of zoning to gen-
<br />erally maintain the character of what is built,
<br />while introducing emerging best practices in a
<br />context -sensitive manner.
<br />Transformation is the use of zoning to
<br />significantly change the character of develop-
<br />ment because what is currently on the ground
<br />is no longer.viable or contradicts the commu-
<br />nity's vision.
<br />A given community will likely use two or
<br />three of the approaches identified above. Tweak-
<br />ing residential bulk standards to allow for mar-
<br />ket -responsive additions is a common example
<br />of calibration, while introducing regulations relat-
<br />ed to renewable energy systems is an example of
<br />modernization. Other parts of a community may
<br />be obsolete and in need of complete redevelop-
<br />ment or change in use. In this case, transforma-
<br />tion is needed. The following sections describe
<br />the nature of these three levels of zoning inter-
<br />vention and how each can be used by communi-
<br />ties to address common challenges faced when
<br />implementing plan recommendations.
<br />CALIBRATION
<br />Every community has zoning regulations that
<br />can be fixed with minor tweaks to maximize
<br />market potential and allow reinvestment in
<br />existing development. In many instances,
<br />outdated zoning regulations are the primary
<br />barrier to property investment, resulting in
<br />blight and abandonment. Minor amendments
<br />can often be made that will foster investment
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<br />Q Addressing supporting building
<br />elements separately from the main
<br />building envelope can allow for
<br />investment in older neighborhoods.
<br />without changing the underlying character of
<br />an area. Some of the most common situations
<br />where zoning calibration is beneficial include
<br />standards for aging commercial centers and
<br />older neighborhoods, parking requirements,
<br />and older codes that have been amended in a
<br />piecemeal fashion over a long period of time.
<br />Aging Commercial Centers
<br />Commercial centers built in the 19705 and 19805
<br />were once thriving destinations for emerging
<br />suburbs. But as development has evolved and
<br />urbanized regions expanded, many have be-
<br />come obsolete and blighted. These commercial
<br />centers must be allowed to evolve in order to
<br />thrive. Zoning for these areas often prohibits
<br />contemporary development practices that ac-
<br />commodate today's commercial uses and site
<br />development preferences. Potential solutions to
<br />this issue include reducing setbacks and per-
<br />mitting a wider variety of uses.
<br />Reducing setback requirements for out -
<br />lot buildings allows development that does not
<br />disrupt the existing commercial center. Add-
<br />ing flexibility to permitted uses (i.e., outdoor
<br />seating, bars and restaurants, sidewalk retail
<br />displays, etc.) can attracts a broader range of
<br />users and create a sense of vibrancy.
<br />Older Neighborhoods
<br />In many communities, a traditional urban core
<br />is surrounded by older neighborhoods. As
<br />one moves away from the urban core, newer
<br />neighborhoods and subdivisions become more
<br />prevalent. Over the course of several decades,
<br />communities tend to standardize zoning regula-
<br />tions across residential areas, often establish-
<br />ing regulations that are appropriate for new
<br />development but not for existing structures and
<br />properties. While lot sizes vary, standards like
<br />lot coverage, floor area ratio (FAR), and setbacks
<br />may be universally applied to older homes and
<br />properties. As a result, older homes on smaller
<br />lots may not be permitted to expand to include
<br />contemporary amenities, such as larger kitch-
<br />ens or additional bedrooms or bathrooms, be-
<br />cause site intensity has been "maxed out." The
<br />result is housing that becomes less marketable,
<br />deteriorated, or abandoned. Potential solutions
<br />to this issue include redefining terms and modi-
<br />fying bulk requirements.
<br />Redefining terms such as lot coverage
<br />and FAR (or whatever nomenclature is used
<br />ZONINGPRACTICE 845
<br />AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION Ipage3
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