Traditional zoning

1
Traditional zoning
RCPL 5513 Zoning and Land Use

• Controls land use and intensity of use
• Keep incompatible land use apart
• Based on extremes of conflict
• Noxious industry next to residential land use

2
Incompatible uses

• Based on use and intensity
• Keep different uses apart
• Keep different intensity of uses apart
• No apartments with single family residential

3
Overall goals

• Placing land uses on parcels most capable of
  absorbing that use
• Planning for future growth
• Coordinating growth of services with land use
  changes
• Keeping incompatible uses apart

4
Zoning ordinance

• Zoning category definitions
• What uses are allowed in a zone?
• Type
• Intensity
• Ancillary uses allowed
• e.g. neighborhood shopping in residential
• parking lots
• service stations

5
Definitions of intensity

• Lot coverage
• Setback
• Side yards
• Lot sizes
• Building bulk and height
• Parking requirements

6
Zoning ordinance

• Zoning map
• Map showing areas where different zones
  designated
• Conventional coding - letters and numbers
• R - residential C - commercial M -
  manufacturing I - industrial

7
Map

• R1 - single family residential
• R2 - two family
• R4 - multifamily
• I1- light industry
• And so on
• Exact definitions in written ordinance

8
Problems

• Cannot use zoning to take land for public
  purposes
• Unconstitutional taking without just compensation
• e.g. cannot put flood plain into a public park
• can prevent its intensive development
• can purchase it from the owner at fair market
  value

9
Problems (contd)

• Cannot use zoning to single out single parcels
• Zoning intended for larger areas
• Called spot zoning - discriminatory

10
Problems (contd)

• Pre-existing uses
• Cannot force owner to change the use
• Generally allow original use to continue
• No redevelopment of site except by using current
  zoning requirements
• Try to put such uses in zones where they won't be
  too out of place

11
HypoCity Project

• Given a mostly undeveloped area
• Information on current land use
• Soils
• Slopes
• Utilities
• Current zoning regulations

12
Rezoning to accommodate development

• Follow all of the principles above
• Final products
• Zoning map (not land use map)
• Written rationale for each zone
• Analysis of underlying limitations
• Where the community must make investments