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Chair Barrows asked Attorney Gledhill if another public hearing would need to be held if <br />the wording in the proposed amendments was changed prior to being returned to the Board of <br />County Commissioners. <br />Attorney Gledhill felt that would not be necessary, however, he indicated that he would <br />look at that question more specifically prior to the Planning Board's recommendations being <br />returned to the Board of County Commissioners. If, at that time, he determined that another <br />public hearing is necessary, he will advise the Board of County Commissioners. <br />Planning Board member Katz stated that the conservation option as it currently exists <br />has been a failure. Side yards were used by almost all of the developers as open space. The <br />proposal being presented does present clear conservation areas. Developers using this new <br />option would be creating beautiful open space for recreation. Under the plan in place now it was <br />hit or miss as to whether that would happen. <br />Commissioner Jacobs commented that a logical solution to this situation is to decide if <br />Flexible Development should be mandatory. He asked staff and the Planning Board to consider <br />this as an option. <br />Benedict agreed that the new standards are not going to have developers lining up to <br />use the conservation cluster options, however, it does delete an option that was dysfunctional. <br />He hopes to come forward with a Flexible Development option later in the year after full <br />consideration of the issue. This proposal will be both feasible, from the development standpoint, <br />and attractive with regard to the preservation goals. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that if the proposal being suggested this evening does not <br />generate, even in the short term, more flexible open space application, he would argue that we <br />have gone in the wrong direction. Possibly requiring flexible development in the short term, <br />while the issue is being further researched and improved, might result in some flexible <br />development. <br />Commissioner Brown commented on Commissioner Jacobs' suggestion that the <br />Planning Department staff return with more recommendations on flexible development, including <br />making flexible development mandatory. She asked if Benedict would return with those <br />suggestions in the fall. <br />Benedict indicated that he would return in the fall with those recommendations. He will <br />research this issue and solicit input from the public and developers. Also, they will take various <br />properties and put them through the processes that they will be suggesting prior to presenting <br />them to the Board of County Commissioners. The soil suitability analysis and minimum lot size <br />will be carefully reviewed. They will hopefully return with standards that would be adopted by <br />the Board of County Commissioners in such a way that developers would actually use them. <br />Commissioner Brown stated that if flexible Development is implemented in such a way <br />that it achieves the goal of rural character and preservation of open space, she would want to <br />see it become the development option for the county.