Agenda - Planning Commission - 10/05/2006

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nity matures and its land-use issues and prior- ities begin to change. Context As Lang's research demon- strates, built out communities are "not limited to traditional downtowns or historic, infill neigh- borhoods. Many American suburban communi- ties are approaching build out. These communi- ties can have different design issues and priorities than their more urban counterparts. For example, while traditional neighborhoods are often divided into relatively short blocks with narrow lots, a suburban community may be divided into relatively large lots with com- mercial uses standing alone on large sites. Development potentiaL Built out does not mean there is no development potential. .It does, however,mean a shift in the type of development potential a community faces along with a corresponding shift in regulatory priorities. Development patterns typically evolve from multiple uses or buildings on rela- tively large sites that were previously undevel- oped to the development of individual lots or reuse of older buildings. In addition, existing lots and blocks can be reassembled and exist. ing developed areas converted to other uses. Rehabilitation and adaptive reuse. The reuse and recycling of older buildings occurs frequently on developed lots. In some in- stances this involves pressure to expand the building area or parking area into existing set- backs, over existing lot lines, or beyond current height limits. A typical example is the expan. sion of parking areas for churches and institu- tional and commercial buildings onto lots in existing residential neighborhoods. Redevelopment. Building demolition, lot assembly, and the vacation of existing lots and streets are often requested to accommo. date uses or structures with larger footprints than more intimately scaled urban structures. This often creates conflicts between the func, tional requirements (real or perceived) for new uses and planning policies that call for com. pact, pedestrian-friendly, transit-friendly, Of context-se~sitive development patterns. Intil/. The march of development often passes over individual lots, leaving b.locks or neighborhoods in built up areas pockmarked with vacant land.lnfill development restores economic vitality to existing neighborhoods. written for undeveloped tracts must be tailored to the context of developed lots and blocks. While large greenfield tracts can require significant off-site infrastructure capacity the street and utility network where redevelop- ment occurs in built out areas is already established. While neighborhoods in newly developing areas often react to traffic and school congestion created by the pace of development, developed commu- nities face infra- structure mainte- nance issues. The-procedural context can change significantly as a community builds out. Fewer parcels require maior subdi- vision approval, but zoning and design controls remain important to resolve use issues (and what lay adjacent) for existing lots. In newly developing areas, procedures tend to respond to the com- plexities of large-scale, master planned develop- ments or major subdivision approvals. In built up areas, the concerns of estab- lished neighborhoods can influence the pro. cedures needed to change existing uses or to expand existing structures. Built up areas are often characterized by infill sites, downtown locations, or distressed communities where local governments would like to encourage development. Procedures that create delay and uncertaintY, such as design review, can scare developers away from these locations. Providing predictable standards and stream- lined approval processes are an important way to balance contextual design with the needs of builders and developers. TABLE 1. DEVELOPMENT ISSUES IN BUilT OUT AREAS VS. GREENFIELD SITES Greenfield Sites Issue Built Out Areas Land Use Infill Design Contextual Infrastructure Maintenance NIMBY Issues Scale Permitting Zoning Procedural Neighborhood.driven Environment Green Building Nonconformities Nonconforming Uses Developing Trendsetting Capacity Pace Platting Development-driven Preservation Vested Rights Unlike many greenfield projects, infill projects do not require infrastructure expansion costs. thereby avoiding new capital costs by using existing infrastructure capacity. However, infill projects can create issues with existing neigh- borhoods about scale. massing, and coordina- tion with existing street and utility networks. Lost space. Built up areas can provide significant development capacity by creatively reusing existing space. This "lost space" is often found in existing parking lots, aban- doned rights of way or rail lines, obsolete pedestrian malls, or oversized or outmoded urban civic spaces such as sunken plazas. GREEN FIELDS VS. BUilT UP AREAS Table 1 summarizes how land development issues change as a community approaches build out. Land-use and zoning classifications ZONING PRACTICE 8.06 AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION I PUg,