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The draft text amendment for Chapter Six – Service Districts
is attached for review. The document’s proposed additions
and refinements are presented in italics or underlined,
while the elements being recommended for elimination are
marked with a through line for ease of reference.
The amendment covered, for example: (1) development scale;
(2) “sewered” and “non-sewered” areas; (3) the need for
residential development phasing; (4) community design (mix
of uses for efficient design and access); and (5) revised
residential density ranges.
There were several key changes associated with density. The
Planning Commission recommends that the “high density” land
use category range be reduced from 7-20 to 7-10 dwelling
units per gross acre, as reflected on page 10. The proposed
change is logical. Note that all single family attached,
townhouse and apartment categories currently envisioned
within the adopted Comprehensive Plan and allowed through
the Zoning Ordinance can fit within the average gross
density range. Another criterion is that any residential
rezoning application presented for County consideration must
be submitted at the designated low end of the density range
for that specified service district location. Higher
density steps must be justified and meet specified
guidelines. If there is a proposed rezoning application, for
example in the low residential density range (1-3), the
expected density is 1 dwelling unit per acre. To justify
each added density increment, the applicant will need to
demonstrate how the established guidelines listed on page 13
have been achieved. This refinement still allows net
densities allowing mixes of single family detached,
townhouse units and apartment buildings in such areas
designated within the Service District Plans. |