Agenda - 10-20-1998 - 10c - Laserfiche WebLink

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plan follows the cluster option of flexible development. The five acres of protected open space would preserve farmland, most of the slopes over 7.5 %, part of a stream buffer, and buffers between the lots and adjacent roads. Section Two: Evaluation of Application and Approval Process The application and approval procedures for major subdivisions outside the Rural Buffer are described in Section III -D -1 of the Subdivision Regulations. The steps in Concept Plan review are: Application, Site Visit, Neighborhood Information Meeting, and Planning Board review. Site Visits are required during the application stage. These are conducted prior to the Neighborhood Information Meeting and sometimes prior to submittal. A total of eleven (11) site visits were conducted by Planning Staff. Eight (8) of these visits were made in conjunction with Concept Plan submittals. A purpose of the Site Visit is for staff to advise the applicant on the location of conservation areas, and to offer guidance on flexible development options. However, none of these visits were conducted to examine potential development scenarios prior to Concept Plan submittal. Usually, a development concept was predetermined. Planning Staff met with the applicant or the applicant's agent solely to advise on access questions, site planning details, and ordinance requirements. Most applicants had a good understanding of primary and secondary conservation areas. Site visits enabled the Planning Staff to become familiar with the subject property prior to the Neighborhood Information Meeting. This helped them address citizen and Planning Board concerns regarding potential impact on conservation areas. Neighborhood Information Meetings (NIM's) are scheduled prior to presentation of the Concept Plan to the Planning Board. All property owners within 500 feet of the subject parcel are sent notices of the Neighborhood Information Meeting at least ten days prior to the meeting. A total of 351 NIM notices was mailed - an average of 44 per subdivision application. This represents a significant increase over the average of 19 NIM notices per application in the first year of Flexible Development. Much of this increase can be attributed to the nature of the subdivision applications submitted during this reporting period. Two proposed major subdivisions, Wildwood West and the Lawrence Road Subdivision, were located within Transition Areas and adjacent to existing single - family subdivisions of 3 -5 units per acre (Wildwood and Colonial Park Mobile Home Park). Neighborhood Information Meetings varied in attendance and usefulness. The average number of neighbors attending was 11, with the most being 25 (Wildwood West) and the fewest being none (Village of the Oaks). These totals were considerably higher than in the first year of Flexible Development, when average attendance was 3, and the highest attendance at a single NIM was 10 persons. Some neighbors called or visited the Planning Department with questions Flexible Development Annual Report #2 July 1998 Page 5