As part of the process of updating Moscow's Comprehensive Plan, the City of
Moscow Planning and Zoning Commission has prepared a second discussion
draft plan relative to land located within the Moscow Area of City Impact. The
Area of City Impact includes unincorporated areas of Latah County within
about one to two miles of the city.
On September 27, 1995 from 7:30 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers
of City Hall, the Commission will hold an informal open house discussion on the
document. You are encouraged to comment on the document prior to or at the
meeting in order that the Commission may obtain public comments early in the
process. A formal public hearing will be held after this proposal and other
elements have been finalized. Comments in the form of suggested alternative
language would be especially helpful.
Copies of the discussion draft may be obtained on the third floor of City Hall
(Old Post Office Building) located at 206 E. Third Street, or may be
requested by
telephone at
883-7000. Comments may be sent to:
City of Moscow
Planning and Zoning Commission
P.O. Box 9203
Moscow, Idaho 83843
Moscow Planning and Zoning Commission:
Jay Pengilly Lynn Baird Bill Morscheck
Joel Hamilton John Hudson Paul Mann
Lynne Young Dana Dawes Jackson Davis
Tony Johnson (Council Rep.)
A COMPLETE COPY OF THE SECOND DISCUSSION DRAFT
FOLLOWS:
DISCUSSION DRAFT: Moscow P&Z Commission for 9/27/95 public meeting
MOSCOW AREA OF CITY IMPACT
Under Idaho law, cities and counties can enter into an "area of city impact
agreements" to jointly administer planning and development activities in the
area immediately outside the city limits. The city of Moscow and Latah
County reached such an agreement in 1993, and designated the area indicated
in the accompanying map as Moscow's area of impact. The area was drawn to
include those areas around Moscow with potential for urban-type development
in the next 20 years. Because land in the area of city impact is in the
proximity of the City of Moscow, it is an area in which growth and
development may be expected to occur. Thus the area of city impact is a
transition area, including some areas that will be annexed into the growing
city, other areas where scattered residential development will intensify,
and still other areas where agricultural uses will continue for some time.
Procedurally, changes to the comprehensive plan map land use designations
for the area of city impact (which control what uses are allowed in various
areas) must be jointly approved by the Moscow City Council and the Latah
County Commission. The City of Moscow zoning ordinance applies in the
impact area and is administered by the city.
City of Moscow zone designations can be applied within the area of impact
if they are consistent with the land use designations shown on the
comprehensive plan map. Since the usual agricultural activities are
uses-of-right within the Agriculture/Forestry zone, provisions outlined in
this section have little practical effect for most existing farm uses.
GOALS OF THE AREA OF CITY IMPACT:
1. Ensure the orderly development of land near the city of Moscow.
2. Provide for a single comprehensive plan and one set of development
regulations that apply to land in the area of city impact.
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.
6. Preserve and enhance the function of state and federal highways and
county roads in the area of city impact as safe and efficient transportation
corridors for various modes of transportation.
7. Protect the interim viability of agriculture in areas more distant
from the city and not yet ready for urban development by minimizing conflict
with scattered development.
8. Minimize potential water, sewer, and access problems common to
scattered rural residential developments, and assure that the layout of any
such developments will be compatible with urban standards when eventually
annexed.
9. Identify, protect, and where possible acquire lands in the area of
city impact that will in the future be appropriate for parkland, including
possible linear parks along the railroad corridors and Paradise Creek.
POLICIES FOR THE AREA OF CITY IMPACT:
1. As urban-type development occurs, it should be encouraged to locate
contiguous with present city limits. Such contiguous development should be
annexed 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.
3. Development of multi-user sewer systems in the area of city impact
is discouraged. Where individual private systems are proposed in new
subdivisions, assure that functional sewage systems can be developed for all
parcels without undue off-site impact.
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.
5. Discourage both residential and commercial strip development with
multiple accesses off county roads which are, or may become, arterial streets.
6. Require that roads and intersections be designed to restrict and
control vehicular access along state and federal highways in the area of
city impact to preserve the primary transportation of these highway
corridors. Buffer requirements should be considered in industrial and
commercial areas to preserve visual amenities in these major entrances to
the city.
7. Some rural non-retail businesses beyond those ordinarily permitted
in the Agriculture/Forestry zone are allowed as conditional uses in that zone.
8. Within the area of city impact, parkland dedication (or fee in lieu
of dedication) may be deferred until the parcel is rezoned to a higher
density than the Agriculture/Forestry zone unless the proposed subdivision
includes land previously identified as a preferred location for parkland.
9. Because land policies in the county beyond the area of city impact
significantly impact development pressures closer to the city of Moscow, it
is the policy of the city to consider Latah County development regulations
in setting regulations for the area of city impact.
10. The area of city impact should be regularly re-evaluated by the city
and county to identify areas which should be added because there is a
reasonable chance they might experience significant residential development
or be annexed in the subsequent 20 years, and areas which have little chance
of such development in 20 years and might better be administered solely by
the county.
11. Moscow recognizes that private mechanisms such as land trusts or
restrictive covenants can enhance development planning and preserve
environmental amenities in the area of city impact. The city is willing to
work with landowners and developers in planning such agreements.
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):
- 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. Land more distant from the city may be developed for rural residential
purposes as a stage of transition toward more dense urban development
through the Planned Unit Development (PUD) process or by rezoning to Farm/Ranch.
- The PUD process, in this case, is intended to facilitate development which:
- clusters homesites,
- preserves environmentally sensitive areas and viewsheds as open space, and
- preserves open spaces in contiguous farmable tracts.
- To accomplish this, residential densities in the AF zone could be
increased through the PUD process, where the actual lots created are
relatively small, and are clustered on less agriculturally productive land.
- Areas to be rezoned from AF to Farm/Ranch shall ordinarily total at least
40 contiguous acres. However, smaller tracts may be considered for
Farm/Ranch zoning where the developer can show that the land is unsuited for
agricultural usefor 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.
- The Farm/Ranch zone should be reviewed to ensure that its provisions are
consistent with the goal of minimizing obstacles to future redevelopment of
land to more urban uses.
- While rezoning to residential densities greater than Farm/Ranch is
possible, such development is naturally limited by the availability of sewer
and water, and by the City of Moscow policy to only provide such services
outside the city limits in exceptional cases.
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.