|
only one of the three communities discussed
<br /> above that has effectiveiy repiaced existing zon-
<br /> in§ (at toast within a specified area) through the
<br /> imaKCode. Adinazon County applies the form-
<br /> based code as an oveday option to the existing
<br /> code while Louisville Metr6 has retained the
<br /> existing zonin§ districts to regulate use and
<br /> density, shifting design standards to the form
<br /> districts. In general, form-based codes regulate
<br /> use but are less proscriptive than conventional
<br /> zoning, ~/picaily encouraging mixed uses and
<br /> housing ~pes. A§ain, the experience to date
<br /> suggests that repiacement of conventional ;on-
<br /> lng with form-based systems wilt be an incre-
<br /> mental process as the concepts are ~rther
<br /> tested in practice and politicai acceptance
<br /> grows. "Hybrid" codes that integrate aspects of
<br /> form-based and conventional approaches are
<br /> ~ike~y to be common responses.
<br /> Overall, representatives of each of the
<br />case study communities describe positive
<br />outcomes from their limited experience with
<br />the form.based deveiopment codes, including
<br />increased urban infitl development and some
<br />higher-quality site and building deslgn pro-
<br />posals. However. as with any new concept,
<br />they also acknowledge some issues, primarily
<br />the need for adiustments to address unfore-
<br />seen, site-specific circumstances.
<br />
<br /> The application of form-Oased develop-
<br />ment codes is new, and the few communities
<br />that have adopted various forms of these codes
<br />have done so in the iast year or two. Therefore,
<br />it is not yet possible to provide a definitive
<br />account of the comparative benefits and detri-
<br />ments of different approaches, or overall suc-
<br />cess of these approaches as an alternative to
<br />conventionai zoning. A follow-up evaluation of
<br />the experience of these and other communities
<br />in several years is needed to provide a more
<br />conclusive assessment of the success of form-
<br />based development codes in practice.
<br />t~e authors would like to thank *,he following indi.
<br />Wduois lot sharing their experiences with farm.
<br />based de,/eiopmenr codes: R. Wayne 8enneff,
<br />Contact i'own Planning (~ormerly Director of (he
<br />Louisville/jefferson Coulm/ Oivision of Planning and
<br />Development Services); 5earl'rev 8omemann, City
<br />Planner, El'tV of Saratoga 5pnngs; Deborah 8ilJtski.
<br />Esquire. ]e,¢erson Coumv Attomey's Office; Charles
<br />c~sh, Director, Louisville Metro Planning ~nd Design
<br />Services; David Hate[eld, ,4ssJstanr Oirecfor,
<br />Louisville Metro Planning 4nd De~ign 5er/ices;
<br />
<br />j J 0uany, Andres, and Emily Talon, "Transect Planning," Journal of the American Planning
<br />i Association, Vol. 68, No. 3, Summer ~oo2.
<br />
<br /> · Freund, Adrian P., "FORM, Character and Context in Jefferson County, Kentucky," APA San
<br /> Diego Conference Proceedings, ~997.
<br />
<br /> · Katz, Peter, "New Approaches to Oevelopment Regulation: (;;)raft Introduction," The
<br /> 8rookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy and the American Planning
<br /> Association, January ~oo3.
<br />
<br />· Parfrey, Edt, "Ouany, New Urbanists, and 'Form-Based' Zoning 0ominate State APA
<br /> Conference," Planners Tabloid, Sacramento Vattey Section, California Chapter, American
<br /> P{anning Association, January 2004.
<br />
<br />· Peirce, Neff, "Zonin§: Ready to 8e Reformed?" The Washington Post Writers Group, February
<br /> 2, 2003.
<br />
<br />· Talon, Emily, "Help for Urban planning: The Yransec~ Strate~/,"/ournal o[Urban Design,
<br /> Vol. 7, No. 3, October
<br />
<br />GaOl:fray Ferretl. Geoffre/ Ferrell Associates LLQ Ann
<br />Hammond, Assistant ~ecutive O/rector,
<br />Nashville/Dovidson Count/Planning Commission;
<br />and Richard Tucker, Planner, Arlington Count/
<br />Planning Commission. J
<br />
<br /> NEWS BRIEFS
<br />ILLINOIS CO/~IhtUNIT1E$ LI,MIT SANK
<br />EIP. ANCHE$ AND NO,",tRETAIL USES IN RETAIL
<br />DISTRICTS
<br />By Rebecca Re~la~ mc,o
<br />Responding to concerns over the potential [ess
<br />of sales taxes and pedestrian activity in com-
<br />mercial districts, several suburban Chicago com-
<br />munities recendy issued temporal/moratoriums
<br />on development of nonretaJJ uses and financial
<br />institutions in central business districts.
<br /> The cities of Highland Park, Long Grove,
<br />Batavia, Ubertyville, Lake Forest. Hinsdale, and
<br />Buffalo Grove, illinois, have each passed or are
<br />considering passing moratoriums that restrict
<br />development of nonretail uses [n their down-
<br />town districts, in order to gain time to figure Out
<br />how to deal with their negative impacts,
<br /> Hi§bland Park passed a t3o-dav.morato-
<br />rium on new permits for street-leve~ business
<br />and personal services, office, professional,
<br />communications, recreational, educational, and
<br />financial uses in its central business district, in.
<br />order to consider limiting nonretait uses in the
<br />district. The moratorium was passed because of
<br />concerns that development of nonretai[ uses in
<br />the central business ~JJstrict would jeopardize
<br />
<br /> funding for Pubic works, infrastructure, parking,
<br /> and streetScape improvements to the area. All
<br /> these improvements have been substantially
<br /> funded by sales tax revenue generated by retail
<br /> uses. Pedestrian activity and the quality of the
<br /> downtown business mix are also concerns,
<br /> Highland Park analyzed tend use in (he
<br /> business distdct and found that uses not gener-
<br /> ating sales taxes account for 30 percent of the
<br /> total first-floor uses in the business district, and
<br /> financial institutions represent ~2 percent of
<br /> those uses. However, when looking at the
<br /> actual square footage of the first-floor space
<br /> occupied by those uses, nonretail uses occu-
<br /> pied 34 percent of the district's square footage,
<br /> and financial institutions used 67 percent of
<br /> that portion. The analysis also found that the
<br /> median linear building frontage for uses gener-
<br /> ating sales tax Jn the district is 40 feet, whereas
<br /> it is 37 feet for those not generating sales tax,
<br /> and ~oo feet for financial institutions, which
<br /> often [ocate in pdme corner stotefronts.
<br />
<br /> Highland Park is now considering the
<br /> creation of an overlay district on the molar
<br /> pedestrian-oriented streets in the business
<br /> district. According to planning technician 8eh
<br /> Carlisle, the purpose of the overlay zone is "to
<br /> limit the impact of non-sates-tax-generating
<br /> uses on our core pedestrian streets." Carlisle
<br /> says that the main issues that concerned the
<br />
<br /> city were the impact of nonretai~ uses on sales
<br />· taxes, pedestrian traffic, and the city's ~oa[s
<br /> for maintainin§ its retail core.
<br /> Long Grove adopted a 9a-day morato-
<br /> rium in February 2oo4 for new nonfatal[ uses
<br /> in its business districts, following the compie-
<br />
<br />1 t6 ZONINGPRACTICE os,o~
<br /> A~ERICAN pLANNING ASSOCIATION J pdge o
<br />
<br />
<br />
|