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4 <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 70% <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 />