Wayne Herron, AICP

Planning Director

As part of the overall Land Development Code Update, the Land Development Code Advisory Board (LDCAB) has made recommendations regarding certain buffers and open space. The LDCAB and staff discussed how citizens have commented regarding the inadequacy of the current standards to properly buffer and protect existing homeowners and provide desired open space.

The Land Development Code Advisory Board and Planning staff are proposing the following  amendments to the Land Development Code:

1. Amend Chapter 9, Environmental Protection, Section 9.4.2 - Types of Landscaping - to revise the Type A and Type B buffer requirements. Many current residents and citizens have noted that they were advised a proposed development would have an opaque buffer, but upon completion, the actual buffer was far from opaque. The current standards propose buffers with plantings that will grow into an opaque buffer upon maturity. The LDCAB felt this was misleading to adjoining property owners and it would be more appropriate to actually have options that allowed for a real opaque buffer. The proposal also takes into account if adjoining property owners desire to waive the opaque requirement and if existing vegetation is present, that it should be accounted for.
2. Amend Chapter 5, District Provisions, Section 5.5.5 - Table of Dimensional Requirements - to remove the district buffer requirement in Business Campus(BC) and Corporate Office(CO) zoning districts. If the buffer options proposed for the opaque buffer are adopted, the current 100 foot district buffer for BC and CO districts is considered to be unnecessary and any buffers should adhere to the standard options being proposed in Chapter 9.
3. Amend Chapter 8, Open Space - to simplify open space calculations. Currently, open space calculations are based on a good faith estimate of how many bedrooms may be provided within a development. The new simplified proposal guarantees a certain percentage of open space for all new developments based on their acreage.

The Planning Board unanimously recommended approval.