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. ~ "1 I <br />zoning. As such, we have found no evidence to counter the findings of <br />the Cane Creek Watershed Study -that options #1 and #2 above will <br />not protect water quality to the same level of certainty as the OWASA- <br />recommended approach (#3) of large-lot zoning /creative open space <br />design. <br />In conducting the research, staff contacted planning jurisdictions that <br />had been identified in the American Water Works Association (AWWA) <br />publication "Effective Watershed Management for Surface Water <br />Supplies" as currently employing or considering employment of cluster <br />development for water quality purposes. Based on the AWWA report <br />the following planning departments and agencies were contacted: <br />Fairfax County (VA) Planning, Prince William County (VA) Planning, <br />Loudoun County (VA) Planning and the Northern Virginia District <br />Planning Commission. All of these planning entities hold responsibility <br />for protecting the water quality of the Occcoquan River basin. <br />Discussions with the identified planning departments & agencies <br />revealed that: 1) Fairfax and Prince William Counties permit rural <br />cluster development, but do so for reasons other than water quality <br />protection, and 2) both counties have a lower underlying density than <br />is currently, or anticipated to be, in place in the Cane Creek <br />watershed. As a result of this lower density, the need for alternative or <br />off-site wastewater systems necessitated under cluster development <br />options is eliminated. In addition, staff conducted an Internet-based <br />literature search to locate other municipalities or counties which <br />employed cluster development. None were found. <br />Given this, staff recommended on November 4 that, to simplify <br />matters for the public hearing, only option #3 (OWASA-recommended) <br />be taken to the November 23 public hearing. <br />Amendments to the Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations <br />have been drafted to implement this management option. The <br />amendments to the Zoning Ordinance will alter the definition of <br />Flexible Development to allow for 50% open space in Cane Creek <br />watershed, and to provide for afive-acre minimum lot size, with up to <br />five lots as small as two acres in size. The amendments to the <br />Subdivision Regulations would amend the open space standards to <br />provide for 50% open space in Cane Creek, and to clarify other <br />sections that specified 33% only. The draft amendment to the Zoning <br />Ordinance recommends one modification to the OWASA package -that <br />the effective date for lots of record (the "up to five lots as small as two <br />acres" test) be set at 7anuary i, 1999, rather than the proposed date <br />