Growth Management Response to EDAC Strategic Plan and AHAC issues

Growth Management Response to EDAC Strategic Plan and AHAC issues

March 12, 2013

Original Requests by BOCC

• Review the Strategic Plan of the Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) to encourage Economic Development (10/2/12)

• The Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) requested that the BOCC review the Cost of Housing Analysis for the 2012 ULDC Update (8/1/12)

• Commissioner Pinkoson’s inquiry on development phasing and expiration dates

EDAC Recommendations for Development Readiness

• Quick Response Team for Development Review• Flexibility in permitted uses for zoning districts• Streamlined Development Review Process• Review Redevelopment Standards

Quick Response Team

• Pre-Application Conferences include staff from GM, EPD, and PW who explain the application process and identify potential issues

• These meetings are held for Development Plans, Re-zonings, Special Use Permits, Special Exceptions, and Comp Plan Amendments

Flexibility in permitted uses for zoning districts

• Uses listed as special exception have been changed to permitted or limited uses in ULDC since 2005

• TOD/TND do not require re-zoning or land use change

• Reduced need for re-zoning/Comp Plan Amendments

• Fewer applications need to be heard at BOCC

Types of Review by Growth Management Staff

• Building Permits• Administrative Staff Review• Development Plans (preliminary, final)• Zoning (Special Use Permits, Special

Exceptions, Planned Developments)• Comprehensive Plan Amendments

Administrative Staff Review

• Staff level approval for minor changes to developed sites that result in less than 1,500 s.f. of additional impervious area

• Administrative approvals do not require advertising or public hearings and are therefore quicker to process

Development Plans

• Depending on scale of project, development plans are heard by DRC or BOCC

• Two-step process (preliminary and final)

Processing times

PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN Applicant County Staff

Submits application Review of application and

notifies applicant of any insufficiencies (2.5 weeks)

Applicant re-submits application with any necessary revisions (determined by applicant)

Sufficiency determination & agenda request for DRC or BOCC hearing (2.5 weeks)

Advertising (approx. 10 days) PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN HEARING AND

APPROVAL

FINAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN Applicant County Staff

Submits (more detailed) final plans and reports

Review of application and notifies applicant of any insufficiencies (2.5 weeks)

Applicant re-submits application with any necessary revisions (determined by applicant)

Sufficiency determination & agenda request for DRC or BOCC hearing (2.5 weeks)

Advertising (approx. 10 days) FINAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN HEARING AND

APPROVAL

Actual Examples of Application Timelines

Jonesville McDonald’s Development Plan

CHRONOLOGY (Preliminary Development Plan):• Application Submittal: 10/03/11• Insufficiency Report Issued: 10/24/11• Application Resubmitted: 11/28/11• Sufficiency Determination: 12/21/11• Preliminary Development Plan Hearing: 01/05/12

CHRONOLOGY (Final Development Plan):• Application Submittal: 02/27/12• Insufficiency Report Issued: 03/15/12• Application Resubmitted: 03/26/12• Sufficiency Determination: 04/11/12• Final Development Plan Hearing: 05/03/12

Staff time ( 77 days) ; Non-staff time (136 days)

Fast track options available

• Applications times can be expedited by overlapping (e.g. CPA and Zoning apps)

• Preliminary Development Plans can be reviewed simultaneously with SUP and Special Exceptions

• Preliminary and Final Development Plans can also be combined

Zoning Review Process

• Rezoning applications require a Pre-Application Conference which explain the process and identify potential issues

• Applicant holds Neighborhood Workshop to gather any comments/concerns about project

• Applicant submits complete application and fee• Staff Review and analysis• Planning Commission hears application and makes

recommendation of approval/denial to BOCC• BOCC determines approval/denial of project

Typical Timeframe ZOM-01-12 Rezoning from BH to HM

CHRONOLOGY• Neighborhood workshop

1/19/12• Application Received 1/30/12• Planning Commission 3/21/12• Board of County Commissioners 4/10/12

approval and resolution issued

Comprehensive Plan Amendments

• Changes in the Future Land Use Map can be in the form of text or map amendments

• Small scale (BOCC adopts) and large scale (BOCC transmits, BOCC adopts)

CPA-01-10

CHRONOLOGY• Neighborhood Workshop

2/20/10• Application Received 2/22/10• Planning Commission 4/21/10• Board of County Commissioners 5/11/10

approval

Building Permits• Building Dept. utilizes an efficient

internet-based, publicly accessible inspection monitoring/reporting system. Currently developing capacity to accept/process permits online

• Many building permits issued same day over-the-counter.

• Average of 8 working days to review/process building permit applications that require plans review

• 95 % of Building Inspections completed within 24 hours of request

New Online Building Permit Process

• Phase 1 (Apr. 2013) Many permits may be submitted online and building permits issued online

• Phase 2 (2014) Wide range of permits submitted/issued online

Development Phasing and Expiration Dates

• Essential to plan for provisions of public services (e.g. roads, schools)

• Updates in policies and regulations• Changes in economic conditions, technology,

environment • Some approved developments are not built• Allow for predictable growth patterns• Equity issues for developers/property owners

Expiration dates

• Planned Developments expire consistent with the phasing schedule– Internal phasing dates– External overall Planned Development expiration

date used to be tied to concurrency -10 years– County Commission must approve extensions

• Preliminary development plans for PD, TND, and affordable housing may be approved with expirations consistent with phasing schedule

Expiration Dates

• Preliminary development plans expire in 12 months if a complete application for final has not been submitted– Reviewing body approves extension (DRC or

County Commission)• Final development plans expire in 12 months if

no permit for construction received– Administrative extensions up to one year– Reviewing body approves all other extensions

Affordable Housing Advisory Committee Concerns

• Establishment of High Aquifer Recharge Areas• Street Pavement Thickness• Reclaimed Water Supply• TOD/TND requirements (primary concern)

AHAC Concerns

• Establishment of High Aquifer Recharge zones

• Water quality issue: current map adopted into the Comprehensive Plan in 2009, policies amended at that time

• This will not affect the number of buildable lots

• Can be mitigated with Low Impact Development standards

AHAC Concerns

• Pavement Thickness Standards (s. 407.141)– Based on structural analysis and anticipated 20 year life

span– Considerable discussion/input from the engineering

community– Section 407.141(e)5

• The County Engineer has the authority to approve alternate designs meeting the objectives of technical guidelines and regulations upon demonstration by the applicant that result in sufficient design to meet the minimum requirements for that particular scenario.

– Longer duration, less maintenance

AHAC Concerns• Reclaimed Water Supply

– AHAC letter states that GRU does not cover the costs of installing reclaimed water lines within a development

– GRU attended a Board meeting and stated they reimburse and followed up with an e-mail dated 8/31/12

“for developments that GRU determines to be feasible to service and who install RCW distribution systems, GRU shall reimburse the developer for costs associated with construction… [of the] piping with in the development.”

– The ULDC requires installation only if it is feasible to serve the development as determined by GRU.

AHAC Concerns

• AHAC stated TND/TOD not financially viable – Critical mass of dwellings needed to support new

business– Commercial lenders reluctant to lend– Homebuyer market for TND + TOD extremely limited

due to lifestyle choices and price– Market slow to change and homebuyers are not forced

to make changes because of abundance of housing supply in Gainesville with large lots, privacy, no retail or commercial

– Home prices are too depressed

Why are TND/TOD requirements beneficial to Alachua County?

What is TND?

• Traditional Neighborhood Developments (TND) have built forms which include small blocks, buildings oriented toward streets, parking located in the rear and/or

on-street, and are scaled for pedestrians.• TND include a mix of uses and

housing types, helping to create a greater sense of community and vibrancy

What is TOD?

• Transit-oriented development (TOD) provides compact, mixed-use communities with densities designed to support transit service

Sec.407.62(b) of ULDC

More choices, more opportunities

• TOD/TND present the opportunity for integration and mix of housing types (e.g. rentals, wider range of incomes)

• Improved access to employment, retail, services; reduced commute times

Positive Fiscal Impacts

• TOD/TND create positive fiscal impacts due to reduced maintenance costs of roads/utilities and concentration of County services

DEVELOPMENT COMPARISON

Development Haile Plantation Celebration Pointe

Acres 1,628 115

Miles of Road 37 3

Linear ft. of road/Unit

72.73 7.04

Residential Units 2,686 2,250

Residential Density

1.65 DU / ACRE 20 DU / ACRE

Non-Residential 280,000 896,000

Non-ResidentialDensity / FAR

40 SF / CAPITA 175 SF / CAPITA

Hotels 0 250

Benefits of TOD/TND

• Better aligned to changing demographics, emerging market

• Efficient Transit Service• Reduction in VMT/congestion• Reduction in energy/ infrastructure costs• Improved safety• Improved health/fitness• Increased local property values

Quality of Life

• Employee quality-of-life is a crucial factor in the location of high-tech and innovative companies (e.g. MindTree)

• MindTree officials considered its site location in other southeastern US cities…but ultimately selected Gainesville due to the area’s high caliber of innovative workforce talent, community spirit and unparalleled quality of life. Source: mindtree.com

Changing Demographics/Emerging Market

• Baby Boomers and Millennials are drastically changing housing and transportation trends

• 60 million+ Baby Boomers retiring

• Each year 600,000 people quit driving once reaching the age of 70

• Fewer Millenials and Baby Boomers buying single-family homes and cars, not because of down economy, but by choice

Source: http://www.realtor.org/publications/on-common-ground/summer-2012-communities-for-all-generations

Changing Demographics/Emerging Market

• Significant rise in “non-traditional” homes projected for Florida’s future

• Between 2000 and 2025 largest changes are for homes without children and single-person households

Reduction in VMT/Congestion

• VMT, or Vehicle Miles Traveled per capita, per day, reduced from 21.8 in auto-centric areas to 9.8 in TODs

• Congestion alleviated by 30-50% with TODs

• Higher rate of internal capture for trips

Source: planetizen.com, “Comprehensive Evaluation of Transit Oriented Development Benefits” by Todd Litman

Improved Safety

• Traffic fatalities 4 times more likely in a conventional suburban development than in TOD

• Increased density and pedestrian activity help keep “eyes on the street”

Source: planetizen.com, “Comprehensive Evaluation of Transit Oriented Development Benefits” by Todd Litman

Improved Health/Fitness

• Walkable communities provide shorter commute times for employees

• Transit users 4 times more likely to walk 20 minutes per day

• Reduction in sedentary lifestyle helps lower obesity rates and other illnesses

• Improved air quality due to fewer GHG emissions

Source: planetizen.com, “Comprehensive Evaluation of Transit Oriented Development Benefits” by Todd Litman

Location Efficient Affordability• Home price is one factor of overall

affordability. Transportation is the 2nd major factor.

(Source: http://htaindex.cnt.org/, Jan 2013)

TOD/TND Thresholds

• New non-residential development on 25 or more acres or including 150 or more residential units

• TOD/TND developments incorporate higher densities, mixed uses, pedestrian-friendly design guidelines and dimensional standards

Key Requirements of TOD/TND

• Design/dimensional standards

• Mixed Uses• Higher density• Focus on

transit/pedestrian

Summary

• Zoning regulations are flexible compared to typical jurisdictions

• Development review is efficient with options to expedite the process

• TOD/TND matches emerging trends in the housing market and offers multiple benefits to Alachua County

• County’s vision is implemented through the Comprehensive Plan and ULDC