A Decision-Making Framework
This comprehensive plan provides a solid decision-making framework that begins with an adherence to the core values and planning principles – these form the basis for all future planning decisions. Following these, the plan provides guidance at a policy level – a commitment to the priorities, and the Big Things. The plan recommends a preferred growth framework that essentially provides the specific land use planning tools to focus growth inward to activity centers, while preserving the undeveloped land that currently exists at the edge of the City’s boundary. Finally, the fifteen strategic initiatives are relatively specific in nature allowing for very little uncertainty regarding direction – all of this to ensure ease of interpretation for city staff, the Planning and Zoning Commission, and the City Council.
The following approach outlines a five-step process for the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council to review when making land use planning and rezoning decisions:
1. Review the rezoning request and confirm that the proposed project build out adheres to the community’s core values.
2. Apply the planning principles to the proposed project to ensure it furthers these basic tenets of the comprehensive plan.
3. Assess which Big Thing the proposed project will address if approved – Cultivate a Sense of Community and Unity, Strengthen the Sense of Place and Economic Vitality of Downtown, or Diversify and Integrate Housing with Other Land Uses and Transportation Options
4. Confirm the proposed project fits into the City’s recommended growth framework – specifically, does it strengthen an identified activity center or meet the definition of the place type indicated on the place type map?
5. Analyze how the proposed project specifically addresses the fifteen identified strategic initiatives in the comprehensive plan.
Translating Zoning Districts to Place Types
Translating existing zoning districts to place types does not allow for a one-for-one approach. It is typical for a few zoning districts to merge into a single place type. The following graph depicts which existing zoning districts likely fit into the new place types that are an essential component of the growth framework.
Immediate Next Steps
The first 24 months will set the stage for the remainder of the implementation process. While there are more than five steps to take during this period, the following five represent a “must-do” list of essential tasks that will initiate implementation and help to keep it on track.
