Applicability. The planned development process is intended for development concepts that require a higher degree of specific planning.
1. General factors for evaluation. The City staff and Planning Commission evaluation process will consider the basis for designation of a planned development zoning on one or more of the following factors:
a. Complexity of the project.
b. Relationship of the site to its surroundings.
c. Challenges presented by site conditions (topography, property configuration, preservation or protection of environmental elements, etc.).
d. Ability of the development plan to meet or exceed the purpose, intent and objectives of this Code through more flexible application of the standards.
2. Intention. In addition, the planned development process is intended to:
a. Encourage more imaginative and innovative site and building design.
b. Promote a more desirable community environment.
c. Allow the City to retain maximum control over the use, the appearance of site and building features, and future operation of the development.
A type of zoning. A planned development application is a type of Zoning Map amendment which, if approved by the Board of Aldermen, creates a planned development district. A planned development district is applied to a specific tract of land or may comprise an assemblage of properties under common ownership or legal sale option contract to a single developer in situations where the specific property (properties) involved warrants greater flexibility, control, and density of development than is afforded under the general regulations of the standard zoning districts of Article
IV (Zoning Districts and Use Standards), §
26-14 (Zoning districts established), of this chapter. However, it should be noted that these planned development regulations are not intended to allow excessive densities, or the development of incompatible land uses, either within the development, or as the development relates to the general neighborhood and must meet all of the procedures and requirements of that process, but it also accommodates specific development plan uses and design elements. In the PD District, uses shall conform to the standards and regulations of the base zoning district to which it is most similar. The base zoning district shall be stated on the preliminary and final development plans.
Objectives and standards for approval. The Board of Aldermen may, upon proper application and review by the Director of Public Services and review and approval by the Planning Commission, approve a planned development for a site of at least 2.5 acres to facilitate the use of flexible techniques of land development and site design, by providing relief from existing zoning district requirements designed for conventional developments, subject to meeting at least two or more of the following standards and objectives:
1. Environmental design in the development of land that is of a higher quality than is possible under the regulations otherwise applicable to the property.
2. Diversification in the uses permitted and variation in the relationship of uses, structures, open space, and height of structures in developments intended as cohesive, unified projects.
3. Functional and beneficial uses of open space areas.
4. Preservation of natural features of a development site.
5. Creation of a safe and desirable living environment for residential areas characterized by a unified building and site development program.
6. Rational and economic development in relation to public services.
7. Efficient and effective traffic circulation, both within and adjacent to the development site.
Types of planned development. Existing tracts of land or property assemblies within the City may be designated as one of the types of Planned Development Districts as set forth in Article
IV (Zoning Districts and Use Standards), §
26-14 (Zoning districts established), complying with the provisions of this section and subject to the procedures of Article
III (Applications and Procedures), §§
26-8 through
26-9, and other applicable standards and requirements of this chapter. The following types of Planned Development Districts may be created based on the use descriptions as outlined in Article
II (Definitions), §
26-7 (Description of uses):
1. Planned Development-Residential (PD-R): planned developments involving residential uses only.
2. Planned Development-Commercial (PD-C): planned developments involving commercial uses only.
3. Planned Development-Manufacturing (PD-M): planned developments involving manufacturing uses only.
4. Planned Development-Mixed Use (PD-MXD): planned developments involving a mixture of residential and nonresidential uses.
