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2. Analysis <br />As required under Section 2.8.5 of the UDO, the Planning Director is required to: <br />`cause an analysis to be made of the application and, based upon that analysis, <br />prepare a recommendation for consideration by the Planning Board and the Board of <br />County Commissioners'. <br />Airport and other similar facilities are combined into a central land use category, <br />specifically Airports, General Aviation, Heliports, STOL, defined within the UDO as <br />follows: <br />• "Airport (Heliport. S. T. O.L. Port), Air Carrier: A public airport served by a certified air <br />carrier. This includes any runways, land areas or other facilities designed or used for <br />landing, taking off, processing passengers or cargo. <br />• Airport, Commuter Service (Heliport. S. T. O. L. Port): A public airport, not served by a <br />certified air carrier, but is served by one or more commuter airlines which enplaned <br />2500 or more passengers in the preceding calendar year. <br />• Airport, General Aviation (Heliport. S. T.O.L. Port): A public airport serving aviation <br />other than airlines. This includes any runway, land area, or other facility designed or <br />used for the landing and taking off of small aircraft." <br />Such use(s) are only permitted through the review and approval of a Class A Special <br />Use Permit by the BOCC in the following general use zoning districts: <br />1. Rural Buffer (RB); <br />2. Agricultural Residential (AR); <br />3. Rural Residential (R -1); <br />4. Light Industrial (1 -1); <br />5. Medium Industrial (1 -2); and <br />6. Heavy Industrial (1 -3). <br />Staff is proposing to create a new Conditional Zoning District allowing for the <br />development of an airport. This would require the BOCC to act on a petition to <br />amend the zoning atlas to create a new airport district. Staff believes this mechanism <br />will be the most appropriate as it would: <br />a. Require the applicant to obtain approval of the site plan by the BOCC before the <br />project can move forward; <br />b. Allow for the review of the project in a legislative setting rather than the quasi - judicial <br />setting associated with a Special Use Permit; <br />c. Allow for a process whereby the County can negotiate with the applicant to address <br />potential impacts of the project on surrounding property owners; and <br />d. Give greater flexibility to the BOCC with respect to acting on the petition. <br />The proposed amendments will also clarify the development of private facilities for local <br />plane enthusiasts. <br />2 <br />