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14 <br />Flexible Subdivision Open Space Amendment <br />Questions and Answers <br />Public Hearing S/27/03 <br />1 -Why, under the proposed amendment, do some Flexible Subdivisions have <br />different open space proximity requirements? <br />The proposed regulation states that a subdivision plan with more than 50% of its open <br />space defined as Primary Conservation Area will be required to provide direct access to <br />open space for 50% of lots and access to open space within approximately 600 feet to the <br />rest of the lots. Subdivision plans in which the open space is less than or equal to 50% <br />Primary Conservation Area will have to provide direct access to 7S% of the lots and <br />access within approximately 300 feet to the remainder. <br />The reason for the difference between projects is that Primary Conservation Area is <br />determined by a small number ofpre-selected natural or cultural values, meaning that that <br />these areas cannot be moved or reshaped. Secondary Conservation Area, on the other <br />hand, can be chosen through commonly existing characteristics that can be <br />accommodated in many more locations. Because of this, a site plan where a majority of <br />open space is Secondary Conservation Area offers more opportunity, and responsibility, <br />to place the open space where it will be more easily accessible to residents and/or the <br />general public. Conversely, if the same accessibility goals were applied when the <br />majority of the open space in a development was in apre-determined location, the <br />developer would end up being negatively impacted despite protecting the highly valuable <br />Primary Conservation Areas on the property. <br />The 600-foot and 300-foot figures were chosen as representative of a reasonable distance <br />that someone would walk to open space and a reasonable number of lots that should be <br />allowed in a row in a rural subdivision without any connected open space. 600 feet is the <br />width of approximately four rural lots and 300 feet is the width of approximately two <br />rural lots. Having looked at other projects, this distance was thought to be a fair measure <br />for maintaining County character while still being practical to accommodate in new <br />development proposals. <br />The most current version of the proposed amendment has made the 600-foot and 300-foot <br />figures `approximate', rather than fixed. This recognizes the need to evaluate the overall <br />merit of the open space proposal in a particular subdivision. This language should allow <br />the Planning Board and Board of County Commissioners to be more flexible in the <br />application of this rule on projects with varied characteristics. <br />2 -What is the level of general public access required to open space in a Flexible <br />Development Subdivision? <br />The proposed amendment suggests that Primary Conservation Area should be `ideally' <br />open to the general public, as these areas have high public values because of their natural <br />