Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning Department

 

TO:

City Commission and City Manager

 

FROM:

Planning Staff

CC:

Dave Corliss

Debbie Van Saun

Date:

January 6, 2005

RE:

Response to Commission request for explanation of the merits and differences of area plans and overlay zones

 

 

In the planner’s tool box, Area Plans and Overlay Zones are two of the most used tools to further refine, enhance, and implement the general goals and policies in a Comprehensive Plan.  The usefulness of these tools, however, occurs at different ends of the implementation process.  Area plans occur at the beginning of the implementation process.  They are useful in the development/refinement of specific goals and policies from the adopted general goals.  This refinement is based on an analysis of physical, social, and/or economic attributes of a sub-area of the Comprehensive Plan’s overall planning area.  Overlay zoning is a supplemental regulatory tool that is used in conjunction with existing (or base) zoning regulations. Overlay zoning is developed based on known aspects or character- defining features of an area.  Its usefulness is in the creation of development standards that promote/enhance positive development of an area, or that restrict or reverse negative development/redevelopment patterns of an area. 

 

More specifically, when further direction is needed in the form of basic data collection or character analysis of an area so that specific goals and policies can be set, an Area Plan is a useful tool.  Through the area planning process, basic information is collected, collated and analyzed to formulate specific goals and policies that can be translated into implementation steps. These specific goals and policies are based on the assessment of an area’s strengths and weaknesses, assets and constraints. The information gathered in the area planning process is used to develop specific implementation recommendations that could include: rezonings, creating overlay zones, incentive programs, or concentrated codes enforcement programs.  When the goal or objective for an area is already known, such as preservation of an existing development pattern or promoting the architectural character of the streetscape, an Overlay zone is an appropriate tool to use. An Overlay zone builds upon already known or quantifiable facts (data) about an area’s development pattern, established character or architectural or environmental strengths and assets. Outcomes from establishment of an Overlay zone could be the adoption of specific design standards or development principles to reflect the direction for development patterns of building styles to promote the established character of an area.

 

The following table provides more detailed distinctions about these two planning tools.

 

 

PLANNING TOOL

USE OR PURPOSE

APPLICATION OF TOOL

EXPECTATIONS OR OUTCOMES FROM USE

TYPICAL ELEMENTS OF THIS TOOL

EXAMPLES OF USE

AREA PLAN

--  to refine the general goals and policies into specific goals and policies for an area

--  to develop detailed information about an area

--  to assess an areas strengths and weaknesses, assets and constraints

-- to document the direction of growth or development of an area

-- to identify the established or developing character of an area

-- for fringe areas of a city where an established development pattern does not exist or is just emerging

-- for redevelopment or infill development in an established area or neighborhood

-- for large non-residential developments that have far-reaching impacts on adjacent developed or developing neighborhood areas

-- consensus plan development through neighborhood and property owner involvement

-- development of a “base point” through land use inventories and survey of existing natural and built resources

-- documentation of the character of an area & the assets and constraints for development in that area

-- creation of specific goals from general goals

-- land use inventory of natural and man-made structures

-- building and public improvement conditions

-- identification of weaknesses in development pattern or area’s prime for redevelopment or a change in use

-- projected public needs – parks, schools, traffic-control devices, sidewalks, recreation linkages

-- area specific recommendations based on goals

-- for an existing neighborhood experiencing development pressures or incompatible development projects

--  to create a neighborhood vision for acceptable infill development

-- for fringe areas of the city that do not have an established development pattern

-- in areas that are underdeveloped or inappropriately developed based on zoning or adjacent land uses

OVERLAY ZONE

-- to protect the established or developing character of an area

-- to establish standards for development [new, infill or redevelopment]

-- to redirect negative growth patterns or development (to create strengths out of weaknesses)

-- to provide community expectations in a defined and predictable manner through regulations

-- to create the same level of protection in older neighborhoods that covenants and restrictions provide in newly developing suburban areas

-- to supplement existing codes and regulations

-- to implement recommendations from a land use or transportation plan that are specific to a defined area or corridor in the city

-- adopted standards for development or redevelopment of an area

-- establishment of expectations for compatible transitions between land uses

-- establishment of the city’s expectations and the review criteria that will be used in evaluating development

-- standards to supplement base zone that enforce the  architectural or design style of the area

-- standards that modify the density and dimensional criteria of the base district to permit patterns [massing and voids, heights and density] of development to continue

-- access mgmt.

-- to implement specific goals established in area or neighborhood plans

-- to implement specific goals or objectives in a corridor or transportation plan

-- to preserve a community asset or development pattern in an area