|
George's Information and Comments Growth Impact Action Committee ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
|
|
Comprehensive Plan Objectives and Tools Presentation by Sr. Planner John Danford
This section reproduces text selections from the impressive text and graphical presentation on comprehensive planning given by John Danford, an Horry County Senior Planner, at the January comprehensive plan steering committee meeting that kicked of the land use element.
Click the presentation items you wish to review in the table below.
Click here if you want to move back to the main menu for the Land Use Element of the Envision 2025 Horry County Comprehensive Plan.
An official document adopted by a local government setting forth
its general policies regarding the long-term physical development of a city or
other area.
A comprehensive plan is a written document that identifies the
goals, objectives, principles, guidelines, policies, standards, and strategies
for the growth and development of the community.
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
Is it sheer numbers? The balance of resources and people.
Is it density? The number in any one place.
Is it the adverse impacts of any change increasing numbers or density?
Is it people at all, or are we more concerned with physical growth such as buildings, roads and infrastructure? Would we be more happy with more people, perhaps in any given area, if we could minimize the physical manifestations? Is it new development where none existed?
Growth indicators More people More cars More buildings More infrastructure More activity There are 6 categories of adverse change Aesthetical Functional Environmental Social Economic Psychological
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
Why am I talking about growth when Im supposed to be talking about land use? Well, we can affect the adversity of growth by developing a land use plan. The tools described herein are the result of land use and comprehensive planning throughout the past half century. The question however is
The next 19 years will result in 105,000 more people for a total of 330,580. 47% of our current population What services will they need? What roads will they use? Where will they live? Where will they shop? Where will they work? How do we protect our resources?
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
Some basic principles govern the development of a future land-use plan Existing uses Use compatibility Land demand (residential, institutional, commercial, industrial, etc) Land availability Environmental opportunities and constraints Infrastructure availability Regulations, laws, codes Existing plans Political will Participation
Designating lands for future uses requires major public policy decisions that directly affect private land.
To what extent are we willing to affect private land and the use thereof?
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
Definition of a tool Anything used as a means of accomplishing a task or purpose. Something regarded as necessary to the carrying out of one's occupation or profession.
The Toolkit = Envision 2025 The Comprehensive Plan is the box that will hold our tools.
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance
Controls the timing and location of new development by coordinating development permits with the availability of public facilities to serve the development. New development is not permitted unless the public facilities needed to serve the project are already in place or can be provided by the developer.
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
A long-term program for developing or improving public facilities that brings predictability to the location and extent of future public facility expansions. A capital improvement program is a mid-range (usually five year) financial planning tool that addresses a community's highest priority capital expenditure needs. The purpose of the capital improvement program is to address the community's long-term future needs for improving streets, drainage, parks, pubic facilities, utilities and other County functions. Generally, projects included in a capital improvement program are relatively expensive, have a multi-year useful life, and result in the acquisition or improvement of a fixed asset.
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
Commercial, residential or mixed-use developments in which a significant portion of the site is set aside as undivided, permanently protected open space, while the buildings (houses, shops, etc.) are clustered on the remainder of the property.
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page
A Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) is a contract between a developer and a coalition that represents various stakeholders in a community. Such stakeholders often include neighborhood groups, unions, faith-based organizations, advocacy groups and charities. In return for being able to build in the community, the developer agrees to provide benefits such as living wages, local hiring and/or training, affordable housing, park or recreation areas, environmental improvements, and other community services, facilities or amenities.
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page
Conservation Subdivision Ordinance
Conservation subdivisions are residential or mixed-use developments of 25 acres or more in which a significant portion of the site is set aside as undivided, permanently protected open space, while houses are clustered on the remainder of the property.
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page
Cottage zoning ordinances allow very small single-family houses ("cottages") of 600-1,000 s.f. in residential neighborhoods. Generally they are built in clusters of 4-20 units, sometimes with a common area as well. A cottage takes up a lot about half the size of a conventional new house, and its impact, in terms of traffic, stormwater, etc., is also about half. Cottages fill a need for affordable housing, especially for empty-nesters, retirees, young couples, or any 1-2 person household. They are usually sold as condominiums. The ordinances are often referred to as Cottage Housing Development (CHD) ordinances.
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page
Design Guidelines Evaluate the appropriateness of buildings, properties, and land uses to create an architecturally and physically cohesive area of specified character
Design Review Reviews architecture, aesthetics, and site characteristics of new development to achieve compatibility with existing development Design guidelines can address some or all of the following design elements: site layout building orientation location of parking connectivity and transition between land uses vehicular and pedestrian access and circulation building facades building materials and colors windows and doors landscaping and screening lighting and signage
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page
Establishes minimum criteria for assessing whether a particular project is appropriate for a certain area in terms of its impact upon, and compatibility with, surrounding land uses. A particular land use can locate anywhere in a given community (i.e., it is not subject to use restrictions or district regulations), so long as it meets the established development performance standards. Development Performance Standards do not establish regulations by zoning or use districts. Rather, they establish on-site development controls, which are frequently found in local zoning ordinances.
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
The environmental impact review process is a vehicle for local decision-makers to decide if a proposed project should be authorized or whether the impacts cannot be mitigated and development should not proceed. The Environmental Impact Study should be tied to the local governments various development approval processes, if they exist.
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
A subdivision exaction is an agreement that the developer will dedicate land for a public use. Traditionally such exactions have been used for streets and utility right-of-ways, but they may also be used for parks, recreation areas, trailways, public transit stations, school sites, coastal access, and other purposes. For these additional amenities, payments are often accepted in lieu of land.
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
A Fix It First policy gives top priority to repair and reinvestment in existing infrastructure by fixing and maintaining what already exists. Funding for expansion, growth, and new purchases is limited, and occurs after existing infrastructure has been properly taken care of and adequately funded.
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
Impact fees are one-time fees charged to new developments, and are meant to cover part of the cost of providing the public facilities that support these developments. Facilities include infrastructure such as water, sewer and roads, and services such as police, EMS, libraries and parks.
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
Incentive zoning is the practice of granting developers extra elements they want (most often density increases) in exchange for the provision of amenities such as affordable housing units, public spaces, infrastructural improvements and open space. When a density increase is allowed, this is often known as a "density bonus."
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
Purchase of Development Rights
A purchase of development rights is an arrangement whereby private landowners sell the development rights of their property to a qualified conservation organization or government agency, in order to permanently protect the property from development and thereby ensure that it remains as open space.
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
Requires narrow strips of land (from 25 to ½ mile in width) along both banks of streams and rivers be set-aside from development and left in their undisturbed, natural state as a vegetative barrier.
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
Provides for small lot residential development in agricultural, forestry, and rural residential districts.
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
Streamlined (Unified) Development Review
Revising the local development review process to make it easier to obtain necessary approvals, particularly for innovative quality growth types of development. Revisions may include removing or combining unnecessary approval steps or publishing a step-by-step guide to the review process.
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
Tax Increment Financing is a development tool designed to help finance certain eligible improvements to property in designated areas (TIF districts) by utilizing the new, or incremental, tax revenues generated by the project after completion. The County issues bonds to pay for infrastructure improvements The increased valuation of the land, and therefore property taxes, is captured and in turn used to pay off the bond over a set period of time - This is known as the increment, or the difference between the original valuation and the increased valuation
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
Transfer of Development Rights
A transfer of development rights (TDR) enables landowners in an area planned to remain as undeveloped to sell their property development rights for use in other "receiving" areas of the community where higher density development is acceptable or desirable. Buying these additional development rights allows developers in the "receiving" areas to build at a higher density than would otherwise be allowed.
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
Defines the extent of future growth in a community by establishing a boundary within which urban types of development will be permitted. Development is restricted outside the boundary to preserve the farmland and rural character of these areas.
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
Specifies the area where a community will provide urban services in the future. This will encourage higher density re/development within the urban service area, while helping to maintain the rural character of areas lying outside the boundary.
Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.
Click here to return to the main comprehensive plan page.
|