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122 <br /> DRAFT 2 <br /> Neighborhood Activity Node would allow up to five acres each of Local <br /> Commercial-1 ( LC1 ) and Neighborhood Commercial-2 ( NC-2 ) zoning . The <br /> property is currently zoned AR, and is within the Protected Watershed-II <br /> ( PW-II ) overlay district for Cane Creek watershed . It is located outside <br /> of the Water Quality Critical Area for Cane Creek Reservoir . <br /> Rural neighborhood activity nodes are areas at strategic intersections <br /> which may contain a limited amount of small-scale commercial activity, such <br /> as country stores . The applicant ' s plan would use only a portion of the <br /> intersection . There is no proposed zoning change at this time . The <br /> current zoning of Agricultural-Residential ( Protected Watershed [ PW] ) would <br /> not be amended by this proposal . However , it would add an overlay district <br /> of Rural-Neighborhood Activity Node in a 1/4 mile radius around the <br /> intersection . A future petition for LC-1 or NC-2 commercial zoning may be <br /> requested for certain parcels . Otherwise , the zoning will remain <br /> agricultural-residential . In support of their request , the applicants <br /> cited the following points : <br /> There has been rapid subdivision development in Bingham Township over <br /> the past 20 years . The applicant has counted 1000 mailboxes within a <br /> possible market area for a community store . <br /> This is a strategic intersection where two collector roads that are <br /> primary thoroughfares in the Township come together. <br /> "There is no community store in the area to provide services to <br /> residents , or to provide an outlet for local agricultural products . <br /> "The Orange Grove Volunteer Fire Department has indicated it will <br /> remove the underground fuel storage tank if fuel services can be provided <br /> at this site . <br /> In addition to evaluating the proposal against locational criteria, <br /> two other efforts relate to the amendment . The Rural Character Study <br /> addressed the issue of rural community and neighborhood centers , and <br /> recognized their historic and cultural significance . It recommended the <br /> protection of existing rural centers and recommended that the potential for <br /> designating new community focal points be studied . The Water Supply <br /> Watershed updates are also relevant , since this site is within Cane Creek <br /> watershed . There are four goal statements in the Land Use Element that <br /> relate to watershed protection, and these are proposed for updating as part <br /> of CP-4-93 . The state standards allow up to 5% of the watershed ( outside <br /> of the critical area ) to be used for non-residential purposes and up to 7O. <br /> impervious surface . The proposed node , plus the existing commercial zoning <br /> totals 14 . 6 acres with less than 1% of the watershed outside of the <br /> critical area. The applicants next steps involve petitioning for rezoning <br /> to LC-1 or NC-2 for the country store site . These zones are the lowest- <br /> intensity commercial zones in the Zoning Ordinance . A conventional <br /> activity node could have up to 10 acres of LC-1 and NC-2 zoned land . <br /> However, an alternative for consideration is the creation of a more <br /> compact , refined node , with limited commercial activity permitted only at <br /> the intersection core . This approach was used in the Joint Planning Area <br /> at Blackwood Station . <br /> In response to a question from the audience , Stancil indicated that <br />