2. HRSR 09-13-2005 - Laserfiche WebLink

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-PAS QuickNotes Form-Based Zoning A list Of references at the end of this OtsickNote will pmvideyou with additional readings aboxt Form-Ba.ced Zoning. Please contactyourPAS Representative for available reference material: THE PRINCIPAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FORM-BASED AND TRADITIONAL ZONING Prescriptive, contextual standards. Traditional zoning prn.rcribes minimum setbacks, permitting building placement anywhere within the allowable zone. Form-based zoning prescribes build-to lines, specifically defining desired development patterns. Based on ideal urban forms or contextual cues, form-based zoning ensures that new development will be appropriate to community vision or existing character. Encouraging Mixed-Use. By rigidly focusing on land use, traditional zoning makes mixed-use development difficult, if not impossible. Form-based zoning de-emphasizes land-use regulation, allowing the market to determine the use. For example, form-based regulation would prescribe large windows and entrances oriented toward the street to promote ground-floor retail. Form-based zoning encourages a healthy mix of retail and residential uses, and aims to curb sprawl ar.:i reduce car dependence by removing elements of the zoning code that encourage exclusionary housing practices and density restrictions. Adapting to the Market, By prescribing use, traditional zoning attempts to predict demand. Uses that are no longer threats to public health are still segregated (e.g., office and light industrial from residential uses). Residential zoning regulations adopted when household size was on the rise cannot adapt to modern needs of empty nesters and young, childless professionals without extensive revision. Form-based zoning restores use determination to the market, allowing the use to automatically adapt to demographic and market shifts. Some designers of form-based codes find that, in the early stages of adoption, prescribing a mix of uses may be necessary to wean developers from the ingrained practice of segregating uses. Freeing the real estate market to respond to changes in demand has been shown to increase property values. Regionally, improving the quality of life through form-based zoning may lead to a competitive advantage in attracting a talented labor force. COMPONENTS OF THE FORM-BASED APPROACH The Regulating Plan. The regulating plan illustrates where form-based codes apply and guides developers to implement them properly. It classifies sites according to street, block, and district characteristics and includes easy-to-follow illustrations of build-to lines, projected building footprints, location of public spaces, and allowable building types specific for each site. Developers and planners view the site as part of a larger, unified design. Unlike traditional zoning maps, which provide little information about vacant land, regulating plans provide a vision of future development. Building Envelope Standards. Building envelope standards ensure that development fits the desired character of the zone, regulating building height, placement, and orientation. The standards prescribe the ideal. For example, height parameters define the minimum height needed to define the