2. HRSR 09-13-2005 - Laserfiche WebLink

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a a i 5 including build-to lines, parking standards, and standard prototypes that vary from the prescribed physical form. The county intends to reevaluate the code to address some of these issues before applying the form-based approach to dther areas. FORM DISTRICT ZONING Form districts emerged as a concept in the Cornerstone zozo Comprehensive Plan for Louisville and Jefferson County, Kentucky (devel- oped in the mid-i99os and adopted in zooo). The Cornerstone zozo planning process revealed a general dissatisfaction with conven- tional regulations and practices that result in the separation of uses, sprawling development patterns, and the imposition ofsuburban forms in traditional neighborhoods. A Community Form Committee was charged with seeking new ways of addressing future development pat- terns, recognizing the need for increased diver- sity, certainty, and flexibility in the regulatory process. The resulting form district concept established ii districts that prescribe desired development patterns in context with the sur- roundingenvironment, from the downtown urban core to traditional neighborhood and sub- urban marketplace (commercial) districts. To implement this concept in a politically acceptable manner, a new Land Development Code was developed as a "two-tiered" approach. This approach combines the use regulations of the preexisting 39 zoning dis- tricts with farm districts that regulate density and intensity and prescribe contextual design standards, such as build-to lines based upon the established development pattern. All dimensional regulations and standards were moved from the zoning districts to the form districts. Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC and Clarion Associates were consultants to Louisville and Jefferson County in the develop- ment of the form districts. Adopted by Louisville Metro and the cities of Hurstboume and Lyndon, the new Land Development Code took effect in March zoo3. Several other jurisdictions in Jefferson County are in the process of adopting the new code. The application of the form districts on a regional basis is a departure from the nor- malapplication of form-based coding to spe- cificgeographic areas within a community. However, existing use and density regula- tions were maintained to minimize the politi- cal issues inherent in rezoning the entire region. According to Louisville Metro plan- ningand design staff, the initial reaction of developers to the adopted form district regulations has varied. One developer of e small shopping center in the neighborhood form district, who was initially skeptical ofthe new code, has since incorporated the recom- mendations of the urban design staff, including buildings arrayed around a pedestrian-scale central parking area that func- tions as a "town square." Other devel- opers have embraced the form district concept as a progressive option that allows Flexibility for innovative design. Overall, the development community and residents seem to prefer the form district concept because it establishes a sense of predictability in design that is not overly restrictive, but promotes compatibility with adjacent development. While asserting that form district zoning is a change in a positive direction, the Louisville Metro staff acknowledges the learn- ingcurve required for its implementation. As a new process for all involved, the impacts are not yet fully measurable and a number of issues have been raised regarding the appli- cation of the form district design standards to site-specific conditions. To address these issues, revisions to the regulations wilt be made over the next year. At this time, Louisville Metro is about two years away from considering a transition from the two-tiered approach to a more complete integration of conventional zoning with the form districts. Nevertheless, according to the planning and m ZONINGPRACTICE 05.04 AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION i page 4