Agenda - 08-21-2012 - 6c - Laserfiche WebLink

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004 Ordinance Amendments)of the Unified Development Ordinance, the Planning Director has initiated text amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance. The purpose of the proposed amendments is to allow for a greater intensity of property use in areas of the county to be served by water and sewer systems. This will be accomplished by revising the Dimensional and Ratio Standards of various zoning districts if located in certain Future Land Use classifications, specifically, the Commercial Transition Activity Nodes and the Commercial-Industrial Transition Activity Nodes. 2.Analysis As required under Section 2.8.5of the Orange County Unified Development Ordinance, the Planning Director is required to: ‘cause ananalysis to be made of the application and, based upon that analysis, prepare a recommendation for consideration by the Planning Board and the Board of County Commissioners’. The proposed amendments increase the potential intensity/density of uses within the commercial and industrial general use zoning districts if the zoning district is located within a Commercial Transition Activity Node or Commercial-Industrial Transition Activity Node, as depictedon the Future Land Use Map contained in the 2030 Comprehensive Plan. These are areas of the county that are served, or proposed to be served, by public water and sewer systems. The increase in potential intensity/density is accomplished by increasing the maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) and decreasing the required Open Space Ratio and Pedestrian/Landscape Ratio(see Article 10 of the UDO for definitions of these terms). It should be noted that “open space” in the context of these ratios includes all grossland area not covered by buildings (e.g., parking areas and driveways are “open space” in this context). In some zoning districts, the maximum height is also proposed to be increased and in one zoning districtthe minimum lot size is proposed to be decreased. The proposed ratios/height maximums are in keeping with regulations adopted in February 2012 for similar economic development zoning districts (which are applicable only in the designated Economic Development Districts) and the Office/Institutional (O/I) zoning district which was amended in June 2011. All other regulations contained in the UDO, such as impervious surface limits, stream buffers, land use buffers, and landscaping requirements continue to apply and are not being proposed for amendment. Planning Director’s Recommendation approval The Planning Director recommends of the proposed UDO amendments based on the following: i.The UDO amendments are reasonably necessary to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare and to achieve the purposes of the adopted Comprehensive plan or part thereof; and,