-jsq
From: “Jason Davenport” <jdavenport@lowndescounty.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 10:30:40 -0400
To: “Lowndes County Land Development List” <jdavenport@lowndescounty.com>
Subject: Lowndes County – ULDC Update – TXT-2010-02 – Chapter 2 – Zoning Districts and Land UsesGood morning. Please be advised that the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) and the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners (LCBOC) intend to hold public hearings to consider text amendments to the Unified Land Development Code (ULDC). The proposed amendments represent updates to Chapter 2 of the Lowndes County Unified Land Development Code (ULDC)(Please See Attached). Chapter 2 of the ULDC dominantly defines the zoning districts and classifies which land uses are allowed in those districts. The primary motivation for this request stems from direction by Lowndes County leadership to do a review of the ULDC. The guiding principles in that review were to simplify the ULDC, make the regulations defensible, and finally to make the ULDC processes timely. In the administration of that review the 10 chapters of the ULDC were put in order of priority and importance. Chapter 2 and subsequently in the coming months Chapter 4 were picked as the top chapters due to their focus on regulations that deal with the primary uses of land within the unincorporated areas of Lowndes County.
How the principles translated into a review of Chapter 2 dominantly turned into a repeated series of 3 questions:
- Are the regulations necessary?
- In which zoning districts should the use be allowed?
- Is the use essentially permissible “P” or subject to supplemental standards “S” in appropriate places?
Efforts were made to present the amendments in a strikethrough and underline format where [DEL: strikethrough text :DEL] represents proposed deletions and underlined text represents proposed new text. Additional efforts were made to highlight changes by color to reference opinion by planning staff as to whether the change was likely to result in increasing regulations (red), decreasing regulations (green), or no real change in regulations (black). Text that is called out by tracked changes in blue represent recent changes from a first draft submitted to staff, Planning Commissioners, and County Commissioners. At this time the document is in the process of review by the Lowndes County Technical Review Committee (TRC). The TRC review is scheduled for completion Friday, October 22nd, and an additional e-mail release highlighting those updates is slated before the October regular meeting of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC). These amendments are scheduled to be considered by the GLPC for recommendation on October 25^th at 5:30 pm and then by the LCBOC for a decision on November 9^th at 5:30 pm. The Planning Commission meeting will be held at 325 West Savannah Avenue and the LCBOC meeting will be held in the County Commission Chambers at 327 North Ashley Street – 2nd Floor. For questions, comments, or concerns please either make plans to attend and comment at either public hearing, respond to this e-mail, call (229) 671-2424, or visit the LCBOC Planning Office at 327 North Ashley Street -2nd Floor between the hours of 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration and please feel free to forward this e-mail and its attachment to anyone interested in land development within the unincorporated areas of Lowndes County.
This e-mail is an attempt to notify those interested in land development within the unincorporated areas of Lowndes County. Should you wish to be removed from this list please respond to this e-mail with that request.
Jason Davenport, County Planner
Lowndes County – Board of Commissioners
229-671-2424 jdavenport@lowndescounty.com
Short Link:
Condominium uses aren’t necessarily bad. As I wrote years ago: “A condominium is not a building. It is a form of ownership.” ( http://www.wtgrain.org/define/w2gcond.htm ) (And, I’m familiar only with Michigan land and law, not that of Georgia.)
Applied properly, a condominium ~could~ enable preservation of open-space or natural areas that otherwise lose integrity when divided among individual landowners. Few things are more challenging to desirable native wildlife than multiple, conflicting regimes of habitat management and neglect.
How to convince locals to apply condos properly… wow. That’s anyone’s guess!
Condos are great close to stores and jobs. Not so much out in the woods where they generate traffic and send children to school when the county doesn’t collect enough taxes from them to pay for the school buses.
-jsq