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<br /> Zoning Education for Communities
<br /> By Joseph DeAngelis
<br /> A Zoning Zol presentation as part of your outreach can help to educate the public,
<br /> elected officials, staff, and other stakeholders on the very basics of zoning and your
<br /> city's code, maps, and development process.
<br /> It's 7:30 on a Tuesday evening.You are at a The questions come quickly,and your lines on the map inherited from four decades
<br /> public forum to discuss revisions to your city's answers aren't good enough.You struggle to earlier dividing this residential district from
<br /> zoning map.The recently revised compre- explain how parking requirements work,or that,orthe bizarre flowchart of interagency
<br /> hensive plan identified a declining low-rise how an FAR bonus for mixed use buildings or and interdepartmental review in the e devlop-
<br /> l stretch tretch
<br /> as ideal for revitalization.on. the relocation of parking to the rear is meant ment process.Now think about the citizen or (<
<br /> The plan uses phrases such as"mixed use to realize the type of development recom- elected official at a public meeting to discuss
<br /> corridor,""town center-style,"and"growth- mended in the community's visioning plan, a variance sought by a developer or proposed
<br /> oriented redevelopment." You explain that this is not a development changes to the zoning map.Do citizens and
<br /> Over the past three months your office proposal,but a rezoning,and you don't have officials have the proper tools to offer in-
<br /> has worked to translate the community aspira- any information on whether the new units will formed feedback,or even to engage in discus-
<br /> tions identified in the plan visioning process be rentals or owner occupied. Sion about some tweak to the FAR or parking
<br /> into a concrete rezoning proposal requiring After the forum wraps up,you struggle requirement?Even highly engaged members
<br /> both a text and map change.The proposal to organize your notes.What did they think? of the community may only have the most
<br /> includes a new zoning designation and re- Generally,they seemed to be opposed to the rudimentary(and possibly misleading)picture
<br /> mapping that incentivizes the very type of measure,though these same people were of what zoning can and can't do.Elected of-
<br /> development in the very same location recom- in favor when it was discussed in more!I- ficials often carry enormous weight with the
<br /> mended by the consultant and the community lustrative terms during the visioning process, community in the planning and development
<br /> in the comprehensive plan. They liked the buildings and streetscape the process,but they may also have serious mis-
<br /> This includes,among other changes, consultant drew,but they seemed utterly conceptions about what zoning is and what
<br /> doubling the floor area ratio(FAR)and increas- confused by both the technical terminology it can and can't do.Developers may regularly
<br /> Ing the height limit for mixed use buildings, you are using and the rules and requirements submit plans without the proper information,
<br /> a reduction in the parking requirement per of the local zoning text and map.You need may repeatedly misinterpret some line of
<br /> residential dwelling unit(from two vehicles to feedback on the proposal,but what feedback code,or may only be familiar with the code
<br /> 1.5),and the relocation of parking to the rear you did receive seemed utterly uninformed pertaining to a single district.
<br /> of the building. or confused.You remember that this isn't an In an ideal world,these audiences would
<br /> The pushback from community members isolated instance.This has happened before. offer their vision for how the community
<br /> in attendance,some of whom participated in Perhaps a Zoninglol session is in order. should look and function in the comprehen-
<br /> the visioning process and endorsed the plan's Zoning is complicated.It's complicated sive planning process.They would not be
<br /> recommendation,is swift.Why are we reduc- for residents,elected officials,administrators, expected to weigh in on the specifics of the
<br /> Ing the parking requirement if we are encour- developers,and architects.It's even compli- zoning code or map.Instead,the planners
<br /> aging new people to live here?Where are they cated for planners not regularly steeped in the would become technicians,turning the vision
<br /> going to park?How can someone own 1.5 plan review or development process.Putting of the community into a reality through some
<br /> cars?Everyone I know has at least two cars. aside the intricacies of zoning as a concept, change to the parking requirement,commer-
<br /> The requirement should be three.Why are you local zoning itself requires specialized knowk cial setbacks,or landscaping regulations.The
<br /> putting parking behind the building?I don't edge,fine analytical skills,and big-picture community would be pleased to see the trans-
<br /> want to have to walk around from the back understanding.Planners must understand the formation oftheirvision into text and lines on
<br /> of the building.What about the height?Why zoning code,the zoning map,the local de- the map.The reality,as always,is far messier.
<br /> are you allowing tatter buildings?A four-story velopment process,and how the three relate As a bulwark against the community pushback
<br /> building is completely out of character for this to each other.Think about the complexity of that arises out of confusion—rather than genu-
<br /> neighborhood.Will these be rental units?How this process for the planner:the small frustra- ine disagreement—a short presentation,meet-
<br /> much will they cost? tions with this bit of counterintuitive code,the Ing,or forum on the very basics of zoning and
<br /> ZONINGPRACTICE 12.16
<br /> AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION j page 2
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