Evaluation – When to make a change?
GAZA promotes zoning administration’s “importance to the health, safety, welfare, and prosperity of Georgia’s municipalities and counties.”
- Do existing tools support this?
- Content – Are codes current?
- Format – Are they clear and well organized?
Are codes current?
- Incorporates amendments into main body of document vs. stand-alone items?
- Tables are updated with text for consistency?
- Consistent with state requirements and federal law?
- Zoning districts are in place that support future land use / development map?
- Building and lot standards support comprehensive plan goals?
- Land development regulations support comprehensive plan goals?
Address community trends or issues?
- Growing senior population
- Green energy and buildings
- LED signs
- Development pressure on farmland
Are codes clear & well organized?
- Precise and consistent language?
- Clearly stated / efficient processes?
- Use of tables and graphics?
- Streamlined (including zoning districts)?
- User-friendly?
Identify Stakeholders
- Staff
- City / County Attorney
- Planning Commission
- Committee or individual interviews
- Elected officials
Identify Issues
- New districts based on character areas
- Supplemental standards based on new uses
- Consistent design and development standards
- Home occupations
- Billboard
Identify Administrative Capabilities
Impacts type of regulations being considered and the associated review processes
- What are full-time staff levels?
- Are certain responsibilities outsourced?
- Design-based standards require additional staff review time
Case Study 1: Burke County
Existing Conditions
- “Land Development Code” minus zoning
- Recent comp plan update
Goal
- Updated Land Development Code with the inclusion of zoning
Process
- Planning Commission acts as sterring committee, meets monthly to guide process
- Stakeholder meetings planned with farming and development community
- Ongoing 2010
Case Study 2: Gordon County
Existing Conditions
- Stand-alone land use and development codes needing to be updated (zoning adopted 1992)
- Recent comp plan update
Goal
- Unified Land Development Code
Process
- Three public workshops held for input
- Board of Commission workshop held to respond to public comments
- Stakeholder meetings with UGA Extension office, major landowners, developers
- Adopted 2008
Case Study 3: City of Canton
Existing Conditions
- Stand alone land use and development codes
- Recent comp plan update
- Additional need for local historic district design guidelines
Goal
- Updated codes consolidated into a single document
- Related, but stand alone, HD design guidelines
Process
- Two steering committees guide parallel processes
- Steering Committee 1 = downtown / historic interests
- Steering Committee 2 = developer, real estate, Dev. Authority, Chamber, PC, citizens
- Ongoing 2010