The business of getting more then 300 pages on new town zoning and land use ordinances has been left in the hands of town board members.
Earlier this month the town’s Building and Planning Department finalized its draft of the new ordinances after more than a year’s worth of planning and committee meetings.
The town has yet to schedule a public informational meeting to disclose the document but will do so soon, according to town officials.
Upon release of the document, copies will made available in the planning and economic department offices, at the William K. Sanford Town Library and the town’s Web site.
This is the legal document that pulls together segments of the comprehensive plan, said Philip Pearson, planning and economic development department director. `The information won’t be foreign (to people).`
The town has proposed extensive zoning revisions in the document that will cut the current number of zones from 22 to 12. New zones will include several conservation and preservation zones strewn throughout the town, said Pearson.
The proposed revisions are part of an overall mission to completely streamline the town’s planning process.
The regulations outline a plan to include town planners and departments earlier in the building application process. The hope is to develop departmental checklists the developers and builders must meet before they are to meet with the town planning board.
Through pre-submission, workshop planners and developers will be sure they are on the same page before projects come before the public at large. With items on the proposed checklists met, each department’s requirements will also be met, and developers will spend less time developing projects while at planning board meetings, and instead use the time to finalize projects to the board’s and ultimately the town’s liking.
The new system will also cut out town board involvement in re-zoning issues related to cluster developments in the town. Currently projects need to be approved by town planners to pass before town board members approval for re-zoning and project approval. In some cases, the project will go before town planners again before town board approval.
The streamlined process will save town planners and board members time while assuring the goals of the comprehensive plan and new zoning and land use ordinances are met.
The new land use regulations also call on the formation of a `use table` by zone. The table will list uses, from planned until developments to outdoor tent sales, depending on the zone. The list will determine whether the use is allowed, its suggested appearance, maximum and minimum footprints, yard set backs and design standards, according to town officials.
Although the new document is a complete overhaul of the old regulations, the uses by existing zones doesn’t change all that much, said Pearson. Part of the design was to use existing building design and the particular use in general of an area to guide future design and uses, he said.
`Even though there is an extensive rezoning, for the most part it doesn’t change substantially the uses in the existing zones. The major changes are in mixed uses,` he said.
As outlined in the townwide comprehensive plan, the town is looking to incorporate more mixed land uses in the overall character of the town. The plan includes mixed business and residential uses and streamlining the definition of zones in particular. Instead of five varying residential zones as outlined in the current land use and zoning ordinances, the new plan will establish one residential zoning classification. The particulars of mixed uses and the style of residences and developments will be determined by existing residences in the area.
Discussions among town board members have so far led to public information meetings to be held at The Crossings similar to meetings held last year as part of the comprehensive planning process.“