GOALS OF THE AREA OF CITY IMPACT:
1. Promote the orderly development of land near the city of
Moscow.
However, this prioritization of goals can in itself be very
controversial and in the end work against orderly development. In other
words what kind of order do we want to see, and are the impacts better
than or any different than no order.
2. Provide for a single comprehensive plan and one set of
development regulations that apply to land in the area of city
impact.
A single plan seems like a good idea except that there may be different
goals for different areas. We may prefer a different approach for the
southside than for the east side. The document does not consider
geographic differintiation.
3. Simplify planning and development by having a single
jurisdiction (the city) be responsible for administering the
development and approval process in the area of city impact.
4. Allow for the expansion of the city boundaries through orderly
subdivision and annexation.
5. Provide for the cost-effective and well planned delivery of city
services (water, sewer, streets, etc.) within these expanding
boundaries.
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The next two policies seem to a certain extent to be at cross purposes.
On one hand you want to encourage the city to aggressively annex
development, but on the other sewer and water services are not to be
provided outside the city limit.
POLICIES FOR THE AREA OF CITY IMPACT:
1. Encourage development to occur contiguous with present city
limits and aggressively annex such developments -- so that city
services (water, sewer, streets) can be provided.
2. Moscow city sewer and water services will not be extended
beyond the city limits, except in cases where the failure of
existing systems have caused a public health and safety hazard,
and where users so served agree to fully bear all costs of such
service and not to oppose future annexation.
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4. Require subdividers to show that any residential development
which occurs is compatible with the street layout and service
access requirements of later higher density urban development,
and is amenable to later re-development using city size lots.
I would take this even farther. Developer must consider what a new
development will do to contiguous existing neighborhoods. They should be
designed so as not to force increased congestion costs on existing
neighborhoods. Developments should be made to fit with the character of
existing contiguous developments when at all possible.
One final policy that I would add, is that developments should be
encouraged to build a mix of good quality lower income and middle income
housing. I suppose I would go so far as to give developers a break on
fees with a minimum number of low income units.
Again I find little in the applicability statements below that would
necessarily change much of the practice that we are already doing.
APPLICABILITY OF ZONES WITHIN THE AREA OF CITY
IMPACT:
1. Within the area of city impact, land initially zoned
Agriculture/Forestry can be rezoned to any of the city of
Moscow residential zones subject to the following.
a. Land where city type development/annexation is imminent (say
within five years and within 1/4 mile of the city limits):
It seems to me that the 1/4 mile rule should be more flexible. Instead
of that I would difine different areas as subzones where policies can be
devised specifically for that area.
- if being rezoned for residential purposes, such parcels will
ordinarily be assigned a zone of Suburban/Residential or greater
density.
- shall meet the goals and policies established for the area of city
impact.
b. For other parcels more distant from the city:
...
- Areas zoned Farm/Ranch shall ordinarily total at least 40 contiguous
acres.
Instead of the 40 acre rule why not use the forty acre as an average
minimum goal, where cluster development in a subzone could occur as long
as the average over the whole subzone does not fall below the rule. It
would also have to meet other requirements related to both congestion and
amenities.
- However, smaller tracts may be considered for Farm/Ranch zoning
where the developer can show that the land is unsuited for
agricultural use for reasons such as soil, topography, or parcel
configuration, and that the rezone meets the other goals and
policies established for the area of city impact.
Do we have the data to find this out firt, an inventory so to speak?
I like (2).
2. In rezoning land for industrial or commercial uses, first
consideration will be given to land currently designated as
industrial or commercial on the comprehensive plan map. In
considering any additional proposals to change the
comprehensive plan map and rezone land to Industrial the
Commission shall:
- encourage such development adjacent to present and likely future
industrial or commercial areas.
- discourage such development amongst or adjacent to present and
likely future residential areas.
- require the use of buffer strips and other applicable methods to
screen industrial uses from highways and from other sensitive
adjacent uses.
- require road, driveway, and intersection designs that control access
as needed to preserve traffic flow and safety.
- consider the effect of such development on traffic patterns, and on
city water and sewer system capabilities.