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Home My WebLink AboutAugust 12, 2003 Agenda AGENDA CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL August 12, 2003 After determining that a quorum is presem, the City Council will convene in a Planning Session of the City of Demon City Council on Tuesday, August 12, 2003 at 4:00 p.m. in the City Council Work Session Room at City Hall, 215 E. McKinney, Denton, Texas at which the following item will be considered: NOTE: A Planning Work Session is used to explore matters of interest to one or more City Council Members or the City Manager for the purpose of giving staff direction imo whether or not such matters should be placed on a future regular or special meeting of the Council for citizen input, City Council deliberation and formal City action. At a Planning Work Session, the City Council generally receives informal and preliminary reports and information from City staff, officials, members of City committees, and the individual or organization proposing council action, if invited by City Council or City Manager to participate in the session. Participation by individuals and members of organizations invited to speak ceases when the Mayor announces the session is being closed to public input. Although Planning Work Sessions are public meetings, and citizens have a legal right to attend, they are not public hearings, so citizens are not allowed to participate in the session unless invited to do so by the Mayor. Any citizen may supply to the City Council, prior to the beginning of the session, a written report regarding the citizen's opinion on the matter being explored. Should the Council direct the matter be placed on a regular meeting agenda, the staff will generally prepare a final report defining the proposed action, which will be made available to all citizens prior to the regular meeting at which citizen input is sought. The purpose of this procedure is to allow citizens attending the regular meeting the opportunity to hear the views of their fellow citizens without having to attend two meetings. Receive an outcome statement and hold a discussion regarding Denton's image in regard to Historic Preservation. Receive a report, hold a discussion and give staff direction regarding Balanced and Sustainable Growth. CERTIFICATE I certify that the above notice of meeting was posted on the bulletin board at the City Hall of the City of Demon, Texas, on the day of ,2003 o'clock (a.m.) (p.m.) CITY SECRETARY NOTE: THE CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION ROOM IS ACCESSIBLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. THE CITY WILL PROVIDE SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED IF REQUESTED AT LEAST 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THE SCHEDULED MEETING. PLEASE CALL THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT 349-8309 OR USE TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVICES FOR THE DEAF (TDD) BY CALLING 1-800-RELAY-TX SO THAT A SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER CAN BE SCHEDULED THROUGH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE. AGENDA DATE: DEPARTMENT: CM/DCM/ACM: AGENDA INFORMATION SHEET Augustl2,2003 Planning and DevelopmeN Jon Fortune, Assistant City Manager SUBJECT Receive a report, hold a discussion and give staff direction regarding Balanced and Sustainable Growth. BACKGROUND Since 1990, the population of DeNon has grown by over 25,000 (38%). With expanding population, DeNon faces service delivery challenges, demands on general govemmeN, utilities, and emergency response. To mitigate these demands City Council adopted growth managemeN policies in the comprehensive plan and implemeNed them through the development code. These actions are in accordance with the Sustainable / Smart Growth philosophy that communities throughout the country have adopted. Smart Growth emphasizes land use, economic development, infrastructure and environmental policies which increase the efficieN use of natural resources, maiNains a sense of place and community quality of life and retains an urban economic viability. ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF PROJECT NA PRIOR ACTION/REVIEW The City Council adopted The Denton Plan 1999-2020: Comprehensive Plan of the City of Denton, Texas on December 7, 1999. The DeNon DevelopmeN Code was adopted by City Council on February 2, 2002 and wen iNo effect on February 20, 2002. FISCAL INFORMATION Growth management policies and their implementation affect an increased efficiency of utilization of city capital resources while promoting balanced economic developmeN and new sources of revenue. EXHIBITS White Paper - Balanced and Sustainable/Smart Growth Respectfully submitted: Kelly Carpenter, AICP - Director Planning and Development Department Prel~red by: Stel~en Cook, AICP - Planning Policy Coordinator City of Denton White Paper Balanced and Sustainable / Smart Growth August- 2003 Created By: 3on Fortune, Assistant City Manager David Hill, Assistant City Manager Kelly Carpenter, Director - Planning and Development Larry Reichhart, Assistant Director - Planning and Development Stephen Cook, Planning Policy cO°rdinator Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 1 Table of Contents Glossary of Terms 1. Introduction/Context 2, Denton Growth Management Strategy 3, Comprehensive Plan Policies Economic Diversification Housing Environmental Management Land Use and Urban Design 4, Implementation - Denton Development Code 5, Smart Growth Defined 6, Costs of Sprawl 7, What Does Smart Growth Look Like? 8, Trends Driving Smart Growth 9, Regional Initiatives 10, Next Initiatives Comprehensive Plan Tracking Infill Redevelopment Transit-Oriented Design Sustainable Neighborhood Development 11, Conclusions Attachments 1. Denton Growth Management Strategy Plan 2. Denton Growth Management Strategy Policies and Assumptions Page 3 7 7 9 9 10 10 10 11 13 14 16 17 18 19 19 20 24 24 25 27 28 Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 2 Glossary of Terms Adequate Public Facilities: Adequate public facilities policies encourage new construction only when municipal services, including water, sewer, roads, and schools, are available to serve that development. Annexation: A change in existing community boundaries resulting from the incorporation of additional land. Blight: Physical and economic conditions within an area that cause a reduction of or lack of proper utilization of that area. A blighted area is one that has deteriorated or has been arrested in its development by physical, economic, or social forces. Built Environment: The buildings, roads, parks, and all other improvements that form the physical character of a space. Carrying capacity: The level of land use or human activity that can be permanently accommodated without an irreversible change in the quality of air, water, land, or plant and animal habitats, in human settlements, this term also refers to the upper limits beyond which the quality of life, community character, or human health, welfare, and safety, will be impaired, such as the estimated maximum number of persons that can be served by existing and planned infrastructure systems, or the maximum number of vehicles that can be accommodated on a roadway. Central Business District (CBD)' The downtown retail trade and commercial area of a city or town, or an area of very high land valuation, traffic flow, and concentration of retail business offices, theaters, hotels and services. Charrette: A Charrette is a planning session in which participants brainstorm and visualize solutions to a design issue, fharrettes provide a forum for ideas and offer the unique advantage of giving immediate feedback to designers while giving mutual authorship to the plan by all those who participate. The term "charrette" comes from the French term for "little cart" and refers to the final intense work effort expended by architects to meet a project deadline. At the Ecole de Beaux Arts in Paris during the 19th century, proctors circulated with little carts to collect final drawings, and students would jump on the charrette to put finishing touches on their presentations minutes before their deadlines. Cluster Development: A pattern of development in which industrial and commercial facilities, mixed uses and homes are grouped together on parcels of land in order to leave parts of the land undeveloped for open space. Development codes permit cluster development by allowing smaller lot sizes when part of the land is left as open space. Compact Building Design: The act of designing and constructing buildings vertically rather than horizontally, and configuring them on a block or neighborhood scale that makes efficient use of land and resources, and is consistent with neighborhood character and scale. Compact building design reduces the footprint of new construction, thus preserving greenspace to absorb and filter rain water, reduce flooding and stormwater drainage needs, and lower the amount of pollution washing into our streams, rivers and lakes. Compact building design is necessary to sustain transit ridership at levels necessary to make public transit a viable transportation option. Comprehensive Plan: A regional, state, or local document that describes a community vision for future growth. Comprehensive plans describe general plans and policies for how communities will grow and the tools that are used to guide land use decisions, and give general, long-range recommendations for community growth, issues may include, land use, housing, transportation, environment, economic development, open space, parks, capital improvement projects and community facilities. Context Sensitive Design (CSD): A collaborative, interdisciplinary approach that involves all stakeholders to develop a facility that fits its physical setting and preserves scenic, neighborhood, aesthetic, historic, Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 3 and environmental resources. CSD is an approach that considers the total context within which a project will exist. Density: The average number of people, families, or housing units on one unit of land. Density is usually expressed as dwelling units per acre. Design Standards: Design standards reflect a community's desire to control its appearance, from within and without, through a series of standards that govern site densities, building heights and orientation, traffic, massing materials and lighting. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency): The federal body charged with responsibility for natural resource protection and oversight of the release of toxins and other threats to the environment. Euclidian Zoning: Referring to the U.S. Supreme Court case: Eucl/d vs. Amber Rea/ty Co. (1_926)in which local authority to zone property uses was upheld. Euclidian zoning classifications segregate uses apart from each other attempting to avoid neighboring nuisances. Smart growth philosophy criticizes this style of zoning for creating too much separation of uses that gererate additional roads, traffic and sprawl. Floodplain: Footprint area adjacent to a water body, subject to inundation under rain or blockage conditions (overflow area). GIS (Graphic Information Systems): A technology used to develop maps that depict resources or features such as soil types, population densities, land uses, transportation corridors, waterways, etc. GTS computer programs link features commonly seen on maps (such as roads, town boundaries, water bodies) with related information not usually presented on maps, such as type of road surface, population, type of agriculture, type of vegetation, or water quality information. A GTS is a unique information system in which individual observations can be spatially referenced to each other. Green Building or Green Design: Building design that yields environmental benefits, such as savings in energy, building materials, and water consumption, or reduced waste generation. Growth Management: A term that encompasses a whole range of policies designed to control, guide, or mitigate the effects of growth. Housing Element of a Comprehensive Plan: A comprehensive assessment of current and projected housing needs for all economic segments of the community. It sets forth housing policies and programs to implement those policies. Impact Fees: Fees for public facility improvements caused by new development. Fees are charged in the site plan / plat processes and reduce burdens on existing residents. Infill Development: The use of vacant or underutilized land in previously developed areas for buildings, parking, and other urban uses. Infrastructure: Water and sewer lines, roads, urban transit lines, schools and other public facilities that support urban uses. Intermodah Land use and infrastructure which affects more than one mode of transportation, including transportation connections, choices, cooperation and coordination of various modes. This term is also known as "multimodal." Land Use: The manner in which a parcel of land is used or occupied. Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 4 Leapfrog Development: Development that occurs beyond the limits of existing development and creates areas of vacant land between areas of developed land. Level of Service (LOS): A qualitative measure describing operational conditions within a traffic stream in terms of speed and travel time, freedom to maneuver, traffic interruptions, comfort and convenience, and safety. Level of service "A" represents the best level of service, generally describing conditions of free flow and very Iow delay and congestion. Level of service "F" represents the worst operating conditions. I~litigation: Processes or projects replacing lost or degraded resources, such as wetlands, habitat or floodplain. I~lixed Use Development: A development including several different and integrated land uses on one site. Neo-Traditional Development: In the style of neighborhoods built in the United States prior to 1940, these new neighborhoods are characterized by an interconnecting street network, mixture of land uses, bike and pedestrian paths, and grid pattern of land use. New Urbanism: Neighborhood design trend used to promote community and livability. Characteristics include narrow streets, wide sidewalks, porches, and homes located closer together than typical suburban designs. NTI~IBY ("Not Tn I~ly Backyard"): NIMBY is an acronym for the "Not in my backyard." A sentiment reflecting opposition to neighborhood change. Non-Point Source Pollution (NPS): Pollution that cannot be identified as coming from a specific source and thus cannot be controlled through the issuing of permits. Storm water runoff and some deposits from the air fall into this category. Open Space: Undeveloped land or land that is used for recreation. Overlay Districts: Zoning districts in which special regulatory standards are superimposed on existing zoning usually to achieve a special public purpose (e.g. historic preservation). Quality of Life: Those aspects of the economic, social and physical environment that make a community a desirable place. Rehabilitation: Making necessary changes and repairs to structures to allow them to become usable. Rehabilitation does not necessarily mean complete reconstruction of a building or restoring it to its original state. Site Plan: A scaled plan showing proposed uses and structures for a parcel of land. A site plan could also show the location of lot lines, the layout of buildings, open space, parking areas, landscape features, and utility lines. Smart Growth: Smart Growth is an approach, philosophy and orientation towards constructing well-planned development that protects open space and farmland, revitalizes communities, keeps housing affordable and provides more transportation choices. Sprawl: Sprawl is dispersed, auto-dependent development outside of compact urban and village centers along highways and in rural countryside. Streetscape: The space between buildings and the sides of a street that defines its character. The elements of a streetscape include: building frontage/fa(;ade; landscaping; sidewalks; street paving; street furniture (benches, kiosks, trash receptacles, fountains, etc.); signs; awnings; and street lighting. Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 5 Sustainable Development: Development with the goal of preserving environmental quality, natural resources and livability for present and future generations. Tax :Increment Financing: Tax increment financing is a system whereby property values in a particular district are frozen at a certain level; when property values rise, the taxes or the increased values are then funneled back into redevelopment projects there. T[Fs are built on the concept that new value will be created, and that the future value can be used to finance part of the activities needed now to create new value. Traditional Neighborhoods: Traditional neighborhood design is an approach that reflects historic settlement patterns and concepts such as gridded, narrower streets, reduced front and side setbacks, and an orientation of streets and neighborhoods around a pedestrian oriented "town center." Such an approach usually requires modifications to zoning and subdivision regulations. Transit-Oriented Development (TOD): The development of urban uses close to public transportation. TODs may reduce dependency on cars and time spent in traffic, which can ease traffic congestion, increase opportunities to link residents to jobs and services, and reduce air pollution. Transit Nodes: Stops along a public transportation route where people board and disembark, often where one or more routes intersect. These sites can provide ideal locations for mixed-use development as well as transit-oriented development. Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 6 1. Introduction/Context 2. Unlimited outward extension of new Over the past 15 years, North Texas has been development; one of the fastest growing metropolitan 3. Leapfrog projects jumping beyond population centers in the United States. Even in established settlements; the current economic downturn, the Metroplex 4. Single use development that separates has continued to experience population shopping, working and residential immigration from other areas of the country; an activities; expanding housing market; and relative job 5. Low density, single use work places and security among many employment sectors strip retail development typically located at the periphery of metropolitan areas; Table :[. Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex Employment 6. Reliance on auto transportation for 5:~, 5:~:. , ,:,__ ~,~,r, virtually all trips; ~'~"" 7. Fiscal disparities among localities; City of Denton 37,050 44,350 58,581 58.11% 8. Lack of adequate housing choices Metroplex located close to work opportunities, thus Total 2,035,950 2,217,850 2,971,057 45.93% forcing many workers to commute Source: North Centra/Texas Counci/ of Governments upwards of 45-90 minutes each Table 2. Projected Population, Housing and direction; Employment- Dallas ! Fort Worth Metroplex 9. Reliance mainly on trickle-down to ~., ~¢~,~-~m ~~ ~ provide housing to Iow-income 2010 6,328,200 2,350,200 3,897,000 households; and 2020 7,646,600 2,851,400 4,658,700 2030 9,107,900 3,396,100 5,416,700 10. Fragmented land use decisions by local Source: North £entra/ Texas £ounci/ of Governments governments. Source: Congress for the New Urban/sm In an atmosphere of expanding population, local governments face service delivery challenges. Greater demands are placed on general government, social, and emergency services. improvements, New subdivisions as require well capital as operation infrastructure and maintenance funding. With expanding use due to growth, existing infrastructure deteriorates at an increased rate. Convenience and quality of life are lessened by increased traffic, pollution, and reduction of natural or open spaces. Much of the development has been based on land use regulations created in the 1960s or earlier. These regulations encouraged urban 2002Aerial Image- Piano, Texas sprawl. In order for cities to continue to grow without Sprawl, as defined by Anthony Downs of the outspending their ability to adequately serve Brookings Institution, maintains ten major new development, cities must grow smarter. characteristics: 2. Denton Growth Management Strategy 1. Predominance of Iow density residential In 1997, the City of Denton began an intensive and commercial settlements, especially in new growth areas; three-year comprehensive planning process to study and mitigate the growth pressures that City of Denton 37,050 44,350 58,581 58.11% Metroplex Total 2,035,950 2,217,850 2,971,057 45.93% Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 7 were coming to bear on the development of the city. Table 3. Adjusted City of Denton Po iections I~larch 2002 2002 87,227 5.12% 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Source; C/t 91,588 5% 96,167 5% 100,976 5% 106,025 5% 111,326 5% 116,892 5% 122,737 5% 128,873 5% 135,317 5% 142,082 5% 149,186 5% 156,198 4.7% 163,227 4.5% 170,245 4.3% 177,225 4.1% 184,314 4.0% 191,318 3.8% 198,397 3.7% , of Denton P/onning Deportment Recognizing that growth should be proactively planned for and accommodated, staff initiated a series of public meetings to fully explore the options of growth management and land use. Initially four varying alternatives were presented to exhibit the differences in how patterns of development could be applied. Four hypothetical scenarios were developed to identify a physical form for the community; the potential implications related to development patterns, land use, transportation, environmental and urban design; and, the potential city policies that should be considered resulting in the development of the growth management strategy for the city. The purpose of these scenarios was to review overall implications of different options for land use, as a guide for development of the comprehensive plan. The scenarios that were explored included: Corridor Scenario - High intensity development occurring in patterns of bands along major thoroughfares and highways with limited reinvestment, redevelopment, or infill development. Overall a Iow-density land use pattern with highest densities occurs along the roadways. This scenario would increase the service area for public facilities, utilities, and transportation. Urban Centers Scenario - A focus of mixed commercial, office and higher density residential land uses. Growth would occur around designed centers within the city and downtown Neighborhood Centers Scenario-Residential uses based on a gridded street network would center around local, limited-use retail, parks or schools. Residential developments occur within walking distances of the neighborhood center. Compact Growth Scenario - Growth would be accommodated within a limited area. This development pattern increases the city's use of redevelopment, reinvestment and infill development and higher densities in order to grow. It allows less investment in capital costs for public facilities and infrastructure and lends the ability to design more efficient public transportation systems. The growth management strategy is a composite of the desirable elements exhibited in the four alternative development scenarios, and also reflects existing land use patterns within the city. Denton's Growth IVlanagement Strategy recognizes that growth will continue to occur in Denton, and the rate of growth will likely accelerate in the near future. Proactive planning is considered the preferable approach, defining the rules by which growth will benefit the most people. Proactive planning requires preparation and an investment of resources in anticipation of growth. Public involvement is critical to plan Success. Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 8 Adverse impacts are typically more expensive to fix than to prevent. Proactive planning is staying a step ahead of growth; reactions to growth are always a step behind. The growth management strategy contains policies that keep Denton a step ahead. All other policies in the comprehensive plan must adhere to the growth management strategy. Denton's Growth Management Strategy may be summarized into four types of policies for smart growth: q, uality- Quality of growth will be strongly managed. ~,ua,'~tity- Quantity of growth will be strongly managed through adequate public facilities requirements and proactive planned extensions of services. £ocation- Location of growth will be strongly managed through organization of broad land use patterns, matching land use intensity with available infrastructure, and by preserving floodplains as environmental and open space corridors. Timing- Timing of growth will be strongly managed through tools such as adequate public facilities requirements, capital improvements programming, and phasing of utility extensions. Economic Diversification The Denton Plan states: "Economic diversification refers to a more directed type of economic development resulting in more stable and resilient economy, which provides high-quality jobs in businesses acceptable to Denton. Diverse and developed economies are characterized by many different types of industries and interlinked by mutual suppliers and consumers. These economies often export goods and services to other population centers. Such an economy will be more resilient, stable, and self-sufficient, thus being less vulnerable to the national and regional economic fluctuations caused by federal and state policies over which local governments have little control. A healthy economy is important to all city functions. Major issues that must be addressed include job creation, business recruitment, business expansion, and small business formation. A number of elements merit consideration, including job quality, environmental impacts, public resource demands, quality of the location (inside or outside of the city), and quality-of-life prospects. All are important in determining strengths and weaknesses of a healthy business climate." 3. Comprehensive Plan Policies In an effort to move Denton from a reactive community to a proactive community toward growth, the City Council approved The Denton Plan 1999-2020 in December 1999 as the city's comprehensive plan. The plan built on the policies and goals adopted as part of the growth management strategy. Conceived and executed as a holistic city document, the plan incorporates policies, goals and strategies for almost all aspects of defining sustainable and smart growth in Denton. Even in the current recovery mode of the economy, corporations are finding that it is easier to move the company to locations where workers want to live, rather than importing workers to where the company is located. The recent movement of the administrative offices of Boeing from the Seattle area to Chicago was based largely on the amenities that Chicago was able to offer the executives and their families. Workers in this new economy want to locate to communities where their families and their avocations are provided for in addition to their vocations. Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 9 Economic diversification policies in the comprehensive plan recognize the need for prudent fiscal growth of the local economy to provide for the health and welfare of the community at-large. The policies are directed at encouraging and maintaining our tradition of strong locally-owned small businesses while attracting appropriate new businesses to the community. Housing The Denton Plan addresses housing through the concept of equitable service. Development in the city should allow for the full range of demographic profiles that make up the character of Denton. The plan clearly states that Iow- income and minority neighborhoods need revitalization assistance. Other neighborhoods feel overwhelmed by traffic congestion and development that outstrips the city's ability to provide schools and other services. An increasing body of knowledge indicates that large-lot, single-use neighborhood subdivisions contribute to urban sprawl, causing city infrastructure systems to be stressed and inefficient. When services are inefficiently provided, tax dollars are not spent wisely. A recent series of national debates has also focused on the relationship between neighborhood design and quality of life. Current zoning trends tend to separate land uses from each other, increasing the need to travel and promoting social isolation for the less mobile members of the community, primarily the young, the elderly, and the disabled. These subdivision practices have been found to contribute to greatly increased vehicle use, vehicle speeds, and thoroughfare traffic congestion. These issues must be understood as Denton's future is planned. The plan encourages investigation for alternative funding for Iow and middle income families, age-in-place policies of housing diversity, and the promotion of an increased palette of housing styles and choices within neighborhoods. Environmental Management Policies in the plan touch on topics of environmental awareness, promote the ethical use of natural resources, and encourage the preservation of native habitat. Environmental protection will be an integral consideration in the development of policies concerning economic growth and community development. The city will evaluate the value and function of the natural environment and identify areas with unique ecological significance. Appropriate protection measures and management techniques will be used to minimize harmful discharges directly to the environment. Site- specific pollution control techniques will be based on the environmental significance of the area and the pollution potential of the development. Environmental mitigation, or lessening of the force or intensity of developments will be considered for development in areas of ecological significance or sensitivity. In addition, the plan lays out goals and strategies for implementing environmentally aware policies for the city to follow in developing its own resources and those of private development within the city. The plan examines goals for air quality management, water quality management and land and soil conservation. Land Use and Urban Design Early in the writing of the plan, the consideration of urban design was to be an integral part of connecting the existing neighborhoods to the envisioned new neighborhoods. Without a distinct concept of constructing well-designed projects co-existing with existing development, the plan would have alienated a considerable amount of support in the community. Denton residents are proud of the existing community places, such as the Downtown Square and Civic Center Park. They are willing to investigate the inclusion of new places both public and private into the fabric of the changing community. For every land use area proposed in the plan, from neighborhood centers to the intensive industrial centers, human habitable design is to be Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 10 considered. Element 4 of the plan illustrates in both text and images, the need for quality places into our city and how those places identify us as a distinct community. One of the primary statements of neighborhoods from the plan concerns pedestrian design: "The layout of neighborhoods should incorporate parks, and institutional uses with strong pedestrian links from the surrounding neighborhoods and with links to the city's regional pedestrian and transportation systems." As stated in the plan, specific elements of design must be able to operate within economic realities and functional necessities. The Denton Plan highly emphasizes pedestrian-oriented design by promoting the use of human-scale development. Site orientation, the public spaces between buildings, the architectural elements composing of building fa(~ade, the use of public art and street section design are all part of the creation of pedestrian oriented districts. New developments should be accessible, permeable through pathway design, and incorporate a combination of public/private spaces in the design. Vehicle/pedestrian conflicts should be limited in residential and commercial settings. 4. Implementation - Denton Development Code The Denton Plan is the City's statement of policy on land development. The Denton Development Code is the legislation. Approved in February 2002, the code implements many of the smart growth ideals as stated in the plan. Since the late 1960s zoning and subdivision ordinances in Denton promoted strict separation of uses. Commercial, industrial and residential uses were segregated along arterial corridors. Residential uses were further confined to minimum lot sizes and total separation of multi- family residential from single-family residential. The current model of residential layout is based on maximum density of the development. Thus allowing a single subdivision to provide for a variety of housing styles and sizes within a single development as long as the maximum density is not exceeded. Mixed-uses are promoted within neighborhood centers. Neighborhood centers will comprise of retail, services and residential uses that are designed to integrate seamlessly with surrounding single-family residential uses. Additionally, the majority of the zoning districts within the code allow for a wide variety of uses to co-locate, promoting day-care centers near places of high employment, elementary schools as neighborhood centers and higher density downtown core development centered around the city's two major state universities. Managed Growth - Denton is challenged with 69 square miles of incorporated land area. To help promote infill development around existing infrastructure, developable zoning districts have replaced undeveloped agricultural zoning. Much of the undeveloped property within the core of the city was zoned Agricultural, thus requiring any development to apply for rezoning; increasing the cost and time involved. By changing the zoning of Denton to flexible density-based zoning districts, the city has essentially planned out how density may develop, where infrastructure-heavy uses will be allowed and increased the potential of infill sites to develop. Redevelopment opportunities for property have greatly increased in Denton. Areas surrounding our two major state universities, Texas Woman's University and the University of North Texas, have been zoned for higher allowances for housing densities primarily geared for the redevelopment of property for student-oriented housing. Coupled with the additional density is specific multi-family design regulations which provide pedestrian-oriented site design and implementation. Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 11 Walkability- Site design standards applicable to all zoning districts require pedestrian-oriented design. Setbacks are more flexible, bringing buildings closer to the street, creating a street wall and streetscape. Building orientation must be to the street instead of the parking areas . Parking areas must be located to the rear or side of the development. Allowances must be made for new development for multi-modal linkages of pedestrianism to public transportation. Neighborhood centers are based on developments within a 1/4-mile walking radius. Street trees are required. For large-scale (big box) developments, pedestrian walkways shall be directly linked to entrances and the internal circulation of buildings. A raised walkway, of a minimum unobstructive width of 5', shall be installed through parking areas of large scale developments. Housing variety- In Denton's previous zoning ordinance, residential zoning based on minimum lot size effectively segregated diverse housing types and styles into economic groups. Now based on maximum density allowances, housing of various styles and types may be built within the same development. Flexible setback requirements allow various structures such as garden apartments and townhomes to be integrated within a neighborhood of traditional single-family structures. The ability to construct accessory dwelling units in a variety of zoning categories reflects the changing lifestyles many residents are faced with. The Denton Development Code recognizes the need for diverse housing for economic and age-specific housing. New developments based on multiple- density housing in Denton will allow residents to age-in-place. Urban Villages - Eight of the new zoning districts in the code are considered mixed-use. These districts are categorized into three land use areas. Activity centers may be developed at the neighborhood, community or regional scale. Setback requirements and site design standards allow centers to develop with pedestrians and transit in mind. Environmental protection - Overlaying all zoning categories, the Environmentally Sensitive Areas have been mapped and quantified as particular development "zones" in Denton. Floodplains are preserved from development on three levels, · Developed (FEIVlA Standards), · Floodplain draining more than one sq mi (No new net fill), and · Floodplain draining less than one sq mi (IVlax 15% fill) Areas of original Cross-Timbers forest have been mapped with the assistance of the University of North Texas showing indigenous Upland Habitat forested areas. These areas are protected in residential developments as they must preserve at least 50% of the forested areas as "preserved lots." Improved drainage standards protect against net runoff from new developments. Tree canopy requirements tied to an extensive native tree list will ensure the continuation of urban forest in Denton. Site Design - Subchapter 13 of the code encapsulates the Site Design standards for development in Denton. The purpose of the standards is to regulate the manner in which land in the City is used and developed, to minimize adverse effects on surrounding property owners or the general public, and ensure that high quality development is maintained throughout the community. Developments should be associated with adequate surrounding open spaces, public and private. The subchapter specifically addresses public spaces as part of the streetscape by requiring one square foot of plaza or public space for every 10 square feet of gross floor space for large-scale developments. The unique quality of art and design in Denton is not overshadowed by architectural specifics, but developers are required to provide variations in color and materials, height, and other specific Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 12 features which become identifiers for neighborhoods, rather than ubiquitous flat paneled design. Transportation - With the inclusion of mixed uses, density-based zoning and transit-oriented development, Denton's Development Code encourages a variety of designs which will increase transportation efficiency. New residential developments must be on a discontinuous but permeable internal street network, connecting with other surrounding developments, instead on loading on one primary arterial, thereby increasing the capacity of the road network. Neighborhood centers are to be placed at 1/4-mile intervals to effectively design-in effective bus stops. Hike and bike-trails and greenbelt connecting to city/regional services and schools are encouraged to provide alternative routing for many of the daily trips residents take. Infrastructure - Tied closely with the stress of rezoning parcels to encourage infill development is the ability for redevelopment and infill to tie in to existing Standards have sustainability of utilities have requirements in will require less street network. infrastructure improvements. been strengthened to encourage the infrastructure. Underground more coordinated spacing the hope that future upgrades dig time and disturbance to the were queried about the design aspects of their choices and asked about their attitudes towards how growth should occur in Denton. The Denton Development Code continues to be an organic document. Quarterly reports are generated tracking various issues of implementation and concerns stated by developers and citizens alike. 5. Smart Growth Defined The term "Smart Growth" was selected by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create an umbrella program for several initiatives which have attempted to respond to the increasing degree of sprawl development across the United States. The objectives of Smart Growth focus on the long-term I~eaith of our existing communities -- economically~ environmentally and socially: To help minimize the impacts of new development (public infrastructure costs, congestion, air pollution, loss of agriculture land, etc.); To provide greater accessibility and choices in how we move about from home, work, shopping and leisure activities; Implementation - Extending from the policies, goals and strategies as adopted in Denton's Comprehensive Plan, the Development Code is the culmination of extensive public involvement and restructuring of the development process in the City of Denton. Focus groups, telephone polling, Chamber of Commerce committees, were all part of redefining and manipulating the code into a document which reflects the future growth of Denton. The most innovative aspect of the stakeholder feedback process was the use of an online Visual Quality Survey. Over 1000 people participated in providing responses to various images of single-family, multi-family commercial and industrial development. They To stabilize and improve the long- term financial performance for commercial and home owners; To maximize the return from public investments in existing and new roads, schools, utilities, transit systems, bridges, waterways, etc; To protect natural habitat and watersheds for the present and future; and To foster a greater sense of connection, responsibility and Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 13 continuity for citizens with their communities. Smart Growth is an alliance of diverse interests who support a different kind of development: construction that enhances existing communities, is compatible with the natural environment, uses tax dollars efficiently, and is profitable for private investment. "The concept of Smart Growth", according to IVlichael Pawlukiewicz, Urban Land :[nstitute's Director of Environmental Land Use Policy, "is considered new and distinctive in that it seeks to identify a common ground where developers, environmentalists, public officials, citizens and financiers all can find ways to accommodate growth that is acceptable to each entity." What can local communities actually do to achieve the above objectives and to reduce the impacts of new growth? Transportation planners, urban designers, environmentalists, developers and local officials created a list of policy and planning tools referred to as Smart Growth: · Build new neighborhoods in a compact form · Connect street systems that are designed to balance auto, pedestrian and bicycle movement · IVlaintain and enhance existing infrastructure · Actively pursue redevelopment, including infill residential development · Encourage mixed-use development, preferably near transit service · Connect open spaces, parks and trails into a system · Vigorously protect sensitive habitat and watershed land · Build mixed-density and mixed-income housing · Recognize traditional downtowns and urban neighborhoods as being a critical anchor to the economic and community vitality of a region · Promote stable neighborhood schools as a focal point for all adults, children, civic groups and businesses · Establish predictability in the development process; development projects that enhance the economy, the community and the environment receive expedited approval Smart Growth calls for compact growth in developed areas and less growth in rural areas. Smart Growth means a balance that preserves the environment and neighborhoods that are cherished, while still providing convenient, affordable homes and room for the economy to grow. Smart Growth is not about pulling up the drawbridge, but about creating great metropolitan areas for future generations. Smart Growth requires adjustments by communities, the homebuilding industry, and its customers. The industry can create new kinds of homes that use less land, but builders will only build what customers want to buy and what regulations allow. 6. Costs of Sprawl The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Environmental Protection Agency developed a study to show the costs of urban sprawl. The study, conducted in the mid 1970s is still relevant in its scope as cities continue to be built within the study's three growth patterns. The three community types Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 14 analyzed were: the "low density sprawl," the "combination mix," and the "high density planned" communities. · Low density sprawl: The entire community is made up of single family homes, 75 percent sited in a traditional grid pattern and the rest clustered. Neighborhoods are sited in a "leapfrog" pattern with little contiguity. This represents the typical pattern of suburban development. · Combination mix: This community consists of a housing mix of single-family, townhomes, and apartments, half located in planned unit developments, half in traditional subdivisions. · High density planned: :In this community, housing is composed of 40 percent high rise apartments, 30 percent walkup apartments, 20 percent townhouses, and 10 percent clustered single family homes. All of the dwelling units are clustered together into contiguous neighborhoods, much in the pattern of a high density "new community." The following briefly summarizes the study's findings in terms of land use, economic costs, environmental costs, energy and water consumption. Land Use: Although all the communities cover the same area, over 50 percent of the land in the high density planned community remains completely undeveloped, whereas all the land is at least partially developed in the Iow density sprawl community. On the other hand, the Iow- density sprawl community has more land that is improved but vacant, an indication of the amount of leapfrogging that occurs there. Although four times as much land is used for residential purposes in the Iow-density sprawl community as in the high density planned community, only two-thirds as much is dedicated to public open space. However, if backyards, which are also a form of open space, are included, the Iow density community has twice the public and private land dedicated to open space as the high density community; it must be remembered, however, that in the high density planned community, over one-half of the land is not developed. The amount of land used for schools and other public buildings is the same in all communities, but the high-density community uses about half as much land for transportation as the Iow- density community. Economic Costs: :In terms of total investment costs, the high-density planned community is distinctly lower: 21 percent below the combination mix community and 44 percent below the Iow density sprawl community. Most of these savings result from differences in development density--savings of about 3 percent of total development costs result from better "planning," whereas those from increased density amount to 41 percent. Higher density development may cost more for the initial capital investment, but over time, the operational and maintenance costs are less for both the public and private entities as infrastructure distances are much shorter. Environmental Costs: Air pollution has two major sources: automobiles and residential heating. Higher density developments require less energy for heating, and higher density and better "planned" communities stimulate less automobile use. Thus the high density planned community generates about 45 percent less air pollution than the Iow density sprawl community. Although "planning" has no effect upon the amount of pollution resulting from residential heating, it can reduce the amount from automobiles by 20 to 30 percent. Density style also affects the important problems of storm water pollution and sediment. The less paved area there is, the less storm water runoff there will be. This is important not only in terms of water pollution problems but also in terms of Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 15 downstream flooding. IVlore clustered communities have somewhat less pavement than sprawl communities, but again the significant savings come from increasing density. Energy and Water Use: Energy consumption is determined primarily by residential heating and air conditioning requirements and by automobile use. Heating and air conditioning requirements are related primarily to the type of dwelling unit--denser developments have lower demands than single-family units. Transportation demands are affected both by the degree of clustering and community planning and by density. "Planning" alone can save nearly 14 percent of total energy consumed, but "planning" combined with increased density can save up to 44 percent. Water consumed in cooking, drinking, etc., is not affected by either planning or density. However, water for lawn watering is affected by both. Clustering alone can save 6 percent of total water consumption, but the high density planned development can save 35 percent over Iow density sprawl development. 7. What Smart Growth Looks Like: In Smart Growth, homes use less land; encourage less driving; and promote more efficient use of public services. Examples: Mixed use neighborhoods. Stores, offices and homes in the same neighborhood, or even the same building. Townhomes. Owner-occupied, common wall construction of single-family residences. An affordable alternative that still has its own front porch and yard. Brownstone Townhome Concept - Southlake, Texas Small lot neighborhoods. Moderate-sized homes for those interested more in interior space than exterior space. Small Lot Courtyard Subdivision Cottages. Very small homes built in compact clusters offer the privacy of a detached house at a Iow cost. Accessory apartments. Apartments built inside a house or above a garage provide affordable homes in quiet settings. Accessory u.lt Accessory Dwelling Unit Urban Villages, Clustering of high-traffic employment and retail into areas which are Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 16 accessible by car and by mass transit. Urban villages provide internal walkability and connectivity to reduce traffic on surrounding arterial roads. One of the big questions asked by real estate developers, financiers, and city officials is whether the current demand for walkable neighborhoods is here to stay. The question is understandable, given the industry's history of failed fads and burst bubbles. Realtors are concerned homes might lack resale value; bankers worry about foreclosure; and land use planners don't want to create neighborhoods that lose value over time. Urban Village COncept 8. Trends Driving Smart Growth Demographic and market trends that support Smart Growth include: · More empty nests. As the children of the Baby Boom generation move out, many people will be looking for smaller, more convenient homes. · Condominium boom. IVlore and more people are opting for condominiums as an investment and a lifestyle choice. · Transportation frustration. The silver lining of our transportation problems is that more people are deciding to live closer to their jobs in urban centers. Whereas a third of housing consumers in many markets say they would prefer to live in a walkable neighborhood with small lots, the number of such units actually developed is negligible against the vast scale of the American real estate industry. That drives up the price on the better old neighborhoods, and leaves many homebuyers with no choice but to live in a spread-out, car-dependent suburb. Such neighborhoods serve more than the individual residents--they use land more efficiently, reduce overall traffic, and provide a high quality of life. Fortunately, the research shows that good urbanism is more than a fad. :In fact, research commissioned by the Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities with support from Bank of America and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation shows that demand for "dense, walkable residential environments" is bound to grow substantially for the foreseeable future. The growing demand will be the result of changing demographics, changing tastes, and the closing of the suburban frontier. Americans are getting older, and fewer households have children. Both of these demographic trends contribute to growing demand for more varied housing choices. IVlany Americans' tastes are moving more toward dense environments, as shown by the growth of "cafA culture," an attraction to ethnic diversity, and a strong attraction toward good urbanism among upper- middle class trendsetters. Perhaps most importantly, in many regions, car-dependent suburbs have never looked less attractive. economically strong regions, suburban traffic is increasingly more unbearable while valued open space is converted inexorably into more suburban sprawl. :In other regions, housing values are stagnating. According to the North Central Texas Council of Governments, by 2020 one-quarter (25%) of the population in North Texas will be 65 or older. Today's retirees are more active and involved in the community than previous generations. The trend has increased for retirees to want to remain in their communities rather than "move Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 17 to Florida.' However, communities without appropriate housing choice for the changing lifestyles of retirees will require them to move from the comfortable environments of their neighborhoods to other neighborhoods or communities which more closely reflect their housing needs. A way to keep residents within neighborhoods is the concept of "aging in place." Housing choice of a variety of densities and upkeep requirements are constructed within an individual neighborhood. As the family changes, they are able to move from smaller residences to larger residences back to smaller residences all within a neighborhood and community they are familiar and happy with. 9. Regional Initiatives Recognizing that the term "Smart Growth" tends to be an umbrella term for various growth management styles and policies, the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) has begun promoting the term "Development Excellence" as the concept behind planned and managed growth. The Center for Development Excellence located at the NCTCOG promotes development concepts that exhibit ten principles of development excellence as a guide to cities, counties, school districts, other public agencies, and the private sector as they plan and create future development and redevelopment in the region: Development Options - Provide a variety and balance of development options and land use types in communities throughout the region. Efficient Growth Foster redevelopment and infill of areas with existing infrastructure and promote the orderly and efficient provision of new infrastructure. Pedestrian Design Create more neighborhoods with pedestrian-oriented features, streetscapes, and public spaces. Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 18 Housing Choice - Sustain and facilitate a range of housing opportunities and choices for residents of multiple age groups and economic levels. Resource Efficiency Provide functional, adaptable, and sustainable building and site designs that use water, energy, and material resources effectively and efficiently. Activity Centers Create mixed use and transit-oriented developments that serve as centers of neighborhood and community activity. Implementation - Adopt comprehensive plans and ordinances that support Development Excellence and involve citizens and stakeholders in all aspects of the planning process. Additionally, the NCTCOG encourages development excellence through monetary assistance. Additional transportation funding is being provided to capital improvement projects which are constructed in conjunction with developments that exhibit the ten principles. $294,364 has been awarded to the ramp reversal capital improvement project on :[H-35E and $588,728 to the creation of a connection to State School Road as part of the Lakes of Sundown Ranch, formerly known as Unicorn Lake. The money has come exclusively from federal Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP) funds. 10. Next Initiatives Environmental Stewardship - Protect sensitive environmental areas, preserve natural stream corridors, and create developments that minimize impact on natural features. Quality Places - Strengthen community identity through use of compatible, quality architectural and landscape designs and preservation of significant historic structures. While the comprehensive plan and development code are growth management tools currently in place that promote smart growth objectives, Denton may be able to contribute more to balancing the needs of economic improvement and resource management with the desires of high quality of life standards. Comprehensive Plan Policy Trackinq - The Denton Plan is a document constantly in flux. As the population and economy changes, the plan must respond to those changes. To aid future decisions in growth management, there must be data feedback as to how well the plan and the development code currently manage growth. Transportation Efficiency - Develop land uses, building sites, and transportation infrastructure that enhance the efficient movement of people, goods, and services. Residential and commercial development rates may be related to policies in the plan to respond to the economic needs of businesses and residents. Housing variety and affordability, densities in appropriate locations and Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 19 construction standards may be tracked to indicate compliance with housing policies set forth in the plan. Investigation of new development's adherence to goals of open space and urban design will highlight new urban places within the city to shop and recreate. From these and other related datasets, adjustments may be made to the plan and the development code that accurately reflects the current and future city needs. Infill/Redevelol~ment Policy - Currently Denton encompasses approximately 69 square miles. Only about half of which is currently developed. Over the past twenty years, the city has made significant capital investment in its infrastructure. To maximize linear infrastructure resources to the greatest efficiency Denton should investigate infill and redevelopment policies. The Oregon State Department of Transportation co-sponsored the writing The ]nfl# and Redevelopment Handbook in September, 1999. The following is an excerpt from that document: Infill and redevelopment can support several local and regional planning objectives, including: · Economic development and improved tax base. · Revitalization of downtown and close-in neighborhoods. · Development of needed housing in close proximity to employment and services · Neighborhood preservation and enhancement · Transportation choices and connectivity · Walkable neighborhoods and, where applicable, transit-supportive development · Decrease in commuter road congestion · Efficient use of existing urban services and facilities, as an alternative to extending new facilities · Energy conservation through reduced reliance on the automobile · Completing communities, and providing community centers · Public cost savings (i.e., over sprawl development) Finally, infill and redevelopment make good economic sense, both for developers and the public. Even the real estate community is turning its attention to ways that it can encourage infill and redevelopment. In a report entitled Emerging Trends for Rea/ Estate 1999, Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Lend Lease Real Estate Investments condemn sprawl and Iow- density suburban residential centers: "Suburbs struggle because they have let developers run amok, oblivious to traffic growth, sewer system capacity or even recreational needs," the report warns. "Increasingly, better suburban centers are starting to look like smaller versions of traditional cities, featuring attractive neighborhoods, easily accessible retail and office districts, and mass transportation alternatives to the car." Emerging Trends is based on a survey of 150 leading industry investors, developers, space users, and analysts across the United States. In Building £ivable Communities: A Policymaker's Guide to ]nfl// Development, The Local Government Commission's Center for Livable Communities identifies six overarching obstacles to infill and redevelopment (paraphrased from Building £ivable Communities): Six Obstacles Stackin~l the Deck Against Infill and Redevelopment 1. Infiii and redevelopment projects often cost more to build than raw land projects Hard costs, such as land, site preparation (i.e., demolition or toxics), construction, and parking vary widely but generally run more for infill and redevelopment. Typically soft costs, such as survey, architecture, engineering, legal, permitting, and marketing, also run more due to design challenges and public process requirements inherent to infill and Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 20 redevelopment projects. The ma~inal cost of infill may be greater than for development on the edge of the urban area, in part, because the number of units being produced is usually much less than would be built in a new community. While permitting costs may be roughly the same for each project, infill projects must pay them out of a smaller projected return on investment. 2. Policymakers tend to overlook ti~e public cost-savings of infili and redevelopment- About 500 studies have been written about the costs of public services to serve different development patterns since the Costs o£ Sprawl report by the Real Estate Research Corporation in 1974. The majority of the studies conclude that it costs considerably less to provide linear services (sewer, water, streets) to a compact, efficient development pattern than to a sprawling pattern. Two recent studies illustrate this point: The first is the Impact Assessment o£ the New Jersey Inter/m State Development and Redevelopment P/an, by Rutgers University in 1992 compares the cost of New 3ersey sprawl with a more compact form of development, as optional ways to accommodate 520,000 new residents over 20 years. Rutgers found that the more compact development pattern would save $1.3 billion in public facility capital construction costs and $400 million annually in operation and maintenance costs. The second study, Alternatives for Future Urban Growth in California's Central Valley: The Bottom I/ne, by American Farmland Trust in 1995, corroborates the conclusion of the New 3ersey study. The study compares the consequences of adding an expected 8 million people by the year 2040 to the Central Valley in two possible scenarios: at 3 dwelling units per acre and 6 units per acre. The study concludes that cities and counties would save $29 billion in the cost of taxpayer-financed services over a 45 year period if housing developed at an average density of 6 units per acre rather than 3 units per acre. These findings underscore the need for policymakers to consider pub/lc costs, as well as private costs, in planning for infill and redevelopment. $. Largely due to past experience with poor quality examples, many community members actively oppose infill and mixed- use projects- The Po/icymakers Gu/de describes this frustration: ":In the past, local governments have focused on regulations relating to particular uses and densities rather than paying attention to the much more important issues of scale, landscaping and, most important of all, the relationship of the building to the lot upon which it sits, to the rest of the street, and to the neighborhood. :In other cases, there have been few or no regulations at all regarding what might be built where. The unpleasant results have become indelibly imprinted in the minds of many citizens. Residents may also have some very legitimate concerns about reduced air quality, increased traffic, more parked cars, and overuse of civic buildings and parks." 4. Developers often avoid infill or redevelopment projects in inner-city neighborhood due to fear of reduced marketability -- A th ree-yea r study u nderta ken by the Urban Land :Institute of six Iow-income, inner-city neighborhoods revealed that Iow quality of education and crime most strongly contribute to neighborhood decline. Poor quality infill development, lack of code enforcement, blight, and a lack of neighborhood were seen as contributing to the problem. 5. Finance and capital markets can be a barrier to the infill developer- Lenders perceive mixed-use projects appropriate to infill development as risky when there are not many similar projects to which they can be compared. The problem is compounded by the fact that many banks separate their residential and commercial loan functions, so individual loan officers are not familiar with all elements of the project. Additionally, most lenders are unwilling to count much of the potential rental income Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 21 from retail/commercial space toward revenues to support a loan, because lenders are concerned the space will not actually lease. IVlortgages of infill projects are also difficult to sell to the secondary market (Fannie IVlae, Freddie IVlac, etc.). The secondary market sets the underwriting standards for most loans and these quasi-public institutions do not tend to underwrite condominiums, townhouses, live- work units, co-ops, co-housing, mixed-use developments, and the like. 6. Zoning for separate uses has gone too far -- The Euclidean zoning model of "separating uses" began as a response to industrial pollution and diminishing quality of life in inner cities. The model spread across the county in the early 1900s, prohibiting different types of housing to mix, and isolating neighborhoods from jobs, stores and services. Today, the practice of separating land uses and prescribing inflexible lot area, building setback, and other dimensional standards has resulted in barriers to compatible infill and mixed use developments. The Policymaker's Guide argues that this way of thinking is outdated and goes too far. "Usually no single regulation is at fault; it is the sum total of all the ordinances and regulations." Strategies for Infill: Changes in Regulations -- Streamlining and customizing regulations to fit the particular needs of infill and redevelopment reduces barriers and provides incentives to quality development. Infill Design Guidelines/Standards- The compatibility of new buildings may be enhanced by incorporating building and site details common in the neighborhood. Appropriate building scale, materials, color, window proportions, and facade articulation, for example, all contribute to compatibility. Large buildings can be designed to reduce negative impacts on the neighborhood by orienting windows away from private areas of nearby houses, stepping back building bulk from property lines to allow more sunlight to surrounding lots, and using building forms and materials that respect the character of the surrounding area. Screening and landscaping can also help new developments blend into the neighborhood. Other strategies include: Neighborhood District Plans --are comprehensive plan components, similar to small-area plans. They are developed through a consensus process with property owners and other interest groups, and provide a vision with specific implementation measures. Neighborhood district plans can encourage quality infill and redevelopment, for example, by providing clear direction in land use, design, transportation, and infrastructure elements. Site Assessments and Inventories -- Local governments can assist the real estate and development industry to focus investment in infill and redevelopment by preparing site assessments and land use/development inventories. Haps of underutilized (vacant, infill, and redevelopable) land that are prepared during comprehensive plan updates and neighborhood studies can be of value to prospective developers. This information can be supplemented with spreadsheets containing key site selection data, such as site size, access, rail and other transportation features, utilities, ownership, physical opportunities and constraints, and entitlement history (e.g., land use approvals, environmental assessments, traffic and natural resource studies). Staff is currently working extensively on creating a database of existing land uses in Denton. Infill Marketing -- Local governments can work with developers to advertise and promote infill and redevelopment sites identified in the site assessments and inventories. Such "marketing" can be as active or passive as is appropriate for the particular community. For example, cities with active urban renewal agencies may be able to dedicate significant resources to advertising (i.e., particularly when Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 22 the agency is offering land for development), whereas other cities may simply provide inventory and assessment data over the counter, or on a web site. Design Assistance -- Design assistance can range from providing diagrams, pictures, and sample designs (i.e., "this will work'S, to preparing complex site plans, computer simulations and modeling (e.g., transportation, drainage, etc.) tailored to individual projects. These types of services can assist developers in protecting neighborhood character and complying with local regulations. Capital Improvement Plans -- A Capital :Improvement Plan (C:[P) shows the location and timing of planned public facility improvements. C:[Ps can be used to focus on specific infill and redevelopment areas for capital projects such as street, utility, and public amenity improvements. Annexation Plans and Urban Service Agreements- Annexation plans and urban service agreements can help in areas where gaps in service exist between multiple cities or special service districts. The agreements facilitate infill and redevelopment by clarifying the roles of service providers and streamlining development review. Marginal Cost Pricing -- A reduction to system development charges and similar fees and exactions may be warranted for some types of projects and in town center locations (e.g., transit oriented developments, mixed use projects, etc.). Such "marginal cost pricing" reflects lower real costs to the community, as compared to open land development at the city's edge. The cost reduction may also encourage a developer to purse an infill or redevelopment project that he or she would not otherwise consider, since this type of project often involves a more lengthy, and less certain permitting and financing process. Financial Incentives- Financial incentives (i.e., beyond Marginal Cost Pricing) are often necessary to induce redevelopment in blighted areas, and in areas where there is a high expectation for public benefits or amenities. Cost reductions and subsidies may include, but are not limited to, public improvement cost-sharing; land acquisition and write-downs; tax credits and abatement; Iow-interest loans and other financial incentives; application fee reductions or waivers; and expedited permit processing. These types of subsidies should be offered only when the development advances a legitimate public purpose (e.g., affordable housing, public space, transit-oriented development, etc.). Tax Increment Financing --"T:[F" stands for Tax :Increment Financing. Tax :Increment Financing is a tool used by municipalities to reduce or eliminate blighting conditions, foster improvement, and enhance the tax base of every taxing district which extends into the area. Tax :Increment Financing provides for redevelopment that would not occur without the support of public investments. This tool allows the City to capture the increase in state and local property and sales taxes that result from a redevelopment which also contributes to the T:[F fund. The City is required to prepare a redevelopment plan for each district which identifies uses for the T:[F fund. Public Improvement District (PID) -- Under Texas law, municipalities may create special districts in which to improve landscaping, streetscapes, public amenities, parking facilities, infrastructure need and other municipal amenities. A city may either create a P:[D solely, with other governments or private interests. P:[Ds may be funded through general funds of the city, grants or a specially levied tax. Forming Partnerships- Local governments can partner with other agencies and organizations that have a mutual interest in promoting infill and redevelopment. By joining forces with housing and social service agencies, neighborhood and business district leaders, building trade groups, and design professionals, Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 23 a local government can tap into a wealth of experience and resources. investment and to maximize ridership. Transit- oriented design projects can: Transit-Oriented Develooment Policy- Given the proper density of people, transit can be a highly efficient means of transportation that serves both land and air quality. Sprawl development works against transit by spreading out people and destinations over great distances. Well planned community design can support transit services through in-fill development and integrating the community around transit facilities. The viability of transit use through transit-oriented design can eliminate automobile trips and provide access for all members of society. "Transit-Oriented Design (TOD) is a general description implying higher density land uses and activities ... designed and located to encourage ridership on public transit," according to Kimberly Fisher of the Urban Land Institute. Transit-oriented design projects attempt to attract people to the transit system by creating an atmosphere that is safe, convenient and easily accessible by foot, bicycle, or alternative transit mode. Improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the number of vehicle trips. If the design of the area surrounding a transit station promotes bicycling and walking, more people will use transit and alternative modes for their travel needs; Promote economic development by attracting consumers, businesses, and social services to the area surrounding the transit station; Increase housing options by encouraging mixed-use development, which incorporates commercial, social service, and residential structures. Recent projects in Dallas, Piano and Richardson have shown that public/private partnerships work well at integrating design and achieving aesthetic and financial goals. Requests for proposals (RFPs) may be issued by cities owning property and right-of-way along the rail corridor in order for private developers to construct centers around the rail stops. According to DART, the center in Piano currently holds a waiting list for leasees wanting space in the retail space and residential apartments. Mockingbird Station - DallaS~ Texas If people can safely walk to the transit stop and bank, buy groceries, and return library books on their way home from the station, they are more likely to use the transit system. It is essential to integrate the transit station into the other activities of the community in order to maximize most effectively the benefits of the transit Expanded bus and rail transit modes are viable and necessary options for transportation mobility in Denton and Denton County. Connecting appropriate land uses surrounding these connections enables increased ridership and decreased use of single-occupant vehicles. Future policy directions could include investigating the siting of locations for transit nodes. Sustainable Nei~lhborhood Planning!- In June 2002, the City Council was briefed on the life-cycle of a neighborhood and how various policies implemented by the city may help deter the fall of neighborhoods into disrepair and Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 24 decline. Much of the paper focused on how the city may be able to maintain existing neighborhoods, rehabilitate declining neighborhoods and preserve future neighborhoods from decline. Continued reexamination of the community's values, plans and laws will inevitably lead to a community in which neighborhoods and businesses prosper and environmental and fiscal resources remain plentiful. As neighborhoods age, they must adapt and evolve with the changing needs of the residents who live there. As with any market, new and improved products will tend to replace older models. Unlike vehicles, deteriorating homes are much less disposable and have a detrimental effect on the surrounding neighborhood. A process which may help alleviate the possibility of growing sub-standard and unsightly housing areas is neighborhood district planning. Larger in scope than previous small area plans, the neighborhood district plan looks at a sector of the city containing several neighborhoods, the vacant/undeveloped properties contained within and the issues future growth will incur on the sector. By examining issues of infrastructure maintenance and need, zoning and infill, service delivery and code enforcement, a set of actionable implementation strategies may be enacted 11. Conclusions Balanced and sustainable growth takes on a myriad of forms, ideas and possibilities. Continued growth and demand has placed additional responsibilities on federal, state and local governments to provide equitable services and infrastructure. Local communities, the forefront of land/citizen interaction, must maintain viable economic strength and increase the efficient expenditure of city resources. The collection of processes, policies and laws which have formulated the sustainable/smart growth initiative attempt to gain a reasonable strategy of developing cities in forms which are responsive to diminishing resources, but achieve the aesthetic and livable quality of life which matters to so many residents in the community. Denton is well under way at implementing and achieving many of the goals of smart growth. Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 25 Biblioqraph¥ Are We Growinq Smart?. Website - Economic Development Council of Seattle and King County. 2003. Arigoni, Danielle. Affordable Housing and Smart Growth - Making the Connection. National Neighborhood Coalition. Environmental Protection Agency. Washington D.C. 2001. Booth, Geoffery, Bruce Leonard and Michael Pawlukiewicz. Ten Principles for Reinventinq America's Suburban Business Districts. Urban Land Tnstitute. Washington D.C. Fleissing, Will and Vickie Jacobsen. Smart Scorecard for Development Projects. Congress for the New Urbanism and Environmental Protection Agency. 2002. Henton, Doug and Kim Walesh. Linkinq the New Economy to the Livable Community. The James Irvine Foundation. San Francisco 1998. Infill and Redevelopment Handbook. Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development. 1999. Johnson, William A. Sprawl as a Civil Riqhts Issue - A Mayor's Reflections. GW Center for Sustainable Growth. 2002 Manaqinq Growth is a Balancinq ACt. ePolicy Briefs Vol 1.1. Washington Research Council. January 2001. The Cominq Demand - Congress for the New Urbanism. Based on research by: Dowell Myers, Elizabeth Gearin, Tridib Banerjee and Ajay Garde, University of Southern California School of Policy, Planning and Development. 2002 The Costs of Sprawl - Real Estate Research Corporation for Council on Environmental Quality, Office of Policy and Development Research, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Planning and Management, Environmental Protection Agency. US Government Printing Office. 1974 Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 26 Attachment I Denton Growth Mana~lement Strategy Plan Balanced and Smart Gro~vth White Paper August - 2003 Page 27 Attachment 2 Denton Growth Manaqement Strateqies and Assumptions Growth Management Policies acceierate n the near future, Proactive ptanning is considered the preferable appfoaci;, defining the rules by which growth wili benefit the most peopie, Proac- tive planning requires preparaion and an investment of resources in anticipation of growth, Public invoivement is criticai to pian success, Anticipation of the adverse impact of grov/Lh iS a key dement in proactive pIan- ning, In reactive planning, preparation is not necessary Without proactive plan- ning, growth is soieiy driven by consumer demand, and Canning for governmen- tal services and utiIity systems is done after the fact, The !ess preferabie alterna- tive is to react to gro~'ath and its impacts as they nappen, Preparation is not necessary, Consumer demand drives the iocation and type of new development, and governrnentai services and uti ities systems are designed in response to growth trends, Adverse impacts are typically more expensive to fix than to prevent, Proactive planning is staying a step ahead of growth; reactions to growth are aiways a step behind, The growth management strategy contains policies that keep Denton a step ahead, Ail other poiicies in tine comprehensive pian must adhere to tine growth management strategy, Essential services provided by government must be maintained at the highest ieveis of quaiity possibie, City services intended to protect and preserve pubiic health and safety must be provided to ai existing and futu re Denton stakeho!ders, Tile growth management strategy shoutd support the coordination of public services with private development, Deveiopment patterns ti~at make tine most efficient use of public services and infrastructure should be promoted, The true impact of private deveiopment should be accurately identified and assessed n proportion to pubic costs and benefits, The community should estabiish development ru!es that are deariy stated, adminis- tered efficiently, and enforced consistentiy, If development is proposed that does not satisfy al! the rules, it shouid not be a!Iov,'ed, Land uses should be balanced to maintain quaiity of iife, a diverse economy and a weii-proportioned tax base, The city wiii provide opportunities for the deveiopment of a fuiI array of land uses within the city: Areas of the city susceptible to environmentai damage, where infrastructure systems are stressed, or where devdopment wouid contradict cty pianning obiectives shouid be identified and protected, Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 28 Growth Management Zoning should be used as originally intended, to address extreme incompatib iities between iand uses, Zoning shouid be used to identi~; performance standards that allow land uses in defined districts based on their abiib/to mitigate potentiai negative impacts on neighboring properties, A reexamination of the use of zoning as a pian- ning tool sisouid be conducted to refiect community values successfuiiy, Deveiopment guidelines should be estabiished to aiiow a wider range of land uses to coexist within dose proximity to each othen Site design principies, aesthetic guide- iines, and construction standards shouid be investigaed as possib!e tools to promote land use compatibiiity and encourage deveiopmental diversity, The iocation, piacement, and design of pubiic facilities such as parks, school fire stations, libraries, or human service faciiities shouid be used to create neighborhood activity centers, Coordination of p!anning efforts between different units of iocai government shouid be encouraged to save money and yield greder benefits to residents, Residentia! deveiopment rna establ shes a variety of lot sizes, dweiling types, and housing prices si;ould be encouraged, The city shouid be designed with aii means of transportation in mind, As growth occurs, a variety of mobiity systems should be gven space to connect people to destinations that are important to daily functions, Public transit, bicycle, pedestrian linkages, and streets should be planned and implemented to serve daily transporta- tion needs safely and convenientiy Denton's ability to grow and expand shouid be identified n the city's annexation strat- egy City imits and extraterritorial iurisdiction (ETJ) boundaries shouid be deariy tabiished, and reldionships with other jurisdidions should be determined through inter!ocai agreements, Tine annexation strategy should also reflect the costs of ser- vice provision and external environmentai impacts associated with land located in the ETJ, Four maior gro?~th aspects have been identified and are subject to the following man- agement preferences: Quality- quaii~ of growth will be strongiy managed, Quantity - quantity of growth wiii be strongiy managed through adequate pubiic faciIi- ties requirements and proactive pianned extensions of services, Location - Location of growth wiii be strong!y managed tlsrough organization of broad land use patterns, matching [and use intensity with available infrastrudure, and by preserving floodplains as environmentai and open space corridors, Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 29 Growth Management Timino - Timing of growth will be strongly managed through tools such as adequate public facilities requirements~ capital improvements programming, and phasing of utiiity extensions, Growth Hanagement Strategy Assumptions he fo!iowing growth management strategy and pian is the prefer red alternative for future growth in Denton. The p!an combines many of the concepts from the alternative development scenarios that received favorabie responses at the community meetings, including the devd- opment of neighborhood centers, urban centers, and a strong industriai distrid within the city, whiie encouraging the restoration, redeveiopment, and infiii of parcels in the downtown area and adjacent to the University of North Texas and Texas Woman% University Tile following are the basic assumptions of the Growth Ivlanagement Plan: The Planning Horizon is for the year 2020. The estimated population in the year 2020 will be 215,000 for the entire study area, which includes the City of Denton and its S-mile extraterritoria! iurisdiction (ET J). The population of the City of Denton in the year 2020 wiii be 183,590,witt] an addi- tional 45 square !Tliies of ETJ expected to receive urban services and be considered for annexation. The city may accommodate the additionai popuiation ti]at the market dictates. The mix of residential and commercia! and uses wiii be approximately the same as currentiy existsl indu striai iand uses ?,,'iii be highe~ and institutional uses wiii be Iowen Within residential land uses. the percentage of muitifamiiy to singie-famiiy uses wil! be less than exists today. The zoning mix in 2020 may' or may not be the same as currently exists. Denton wi[i continue to encourage a range in housing types and densities in order to respond to the needs and desires of its residents. ~,verage residential densities ?,,'iii be the same as exist today. There wiil continue to be a citywide average of 2.8 peopie per single-family residential unit and ~.8 peopie per muitifamily unit. The citywide average density for s ngie-family deveiopment will be three units per gross acre, The citywide average density for muitifamily development wiii be fourteen units per gross acre, The minimum !ot size for single-family io~,',,-density deveiopment outsidethe urbanizing area wii! be based on Denton County requirements in order to support a septic sys- tem. UALITY, ©UANTfTY. LOCATION AND TIMING OF GROWT}t WILL BE STRONGLY MANAGED. GROVVTH MANAGEMENT TOOLS MAY INCLUDE: /1. L3EOUA TE PUBL tC /-¢1 C/L / T/£Z~ t~-~ L,"/~M~*,' T~ i: Ot?~A JWZA T/Off OF LA AlE) L;.~}£ PA TT£f~NZ i, z~'RE£E,'?~,'~:'[ T/Ok; OF FL OOL~PL.4/N.~} C~ P~ TA L /MP~ 0 YE-~F¢N TZ? (; ?/:¢zlZ¢/?v'5- OF UT/L/FY ExYTENL?tOh' Z Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 30 Growth Management Based upon the anticipated quantities and iocations of future popuiation, and the citys existing iand use mix, the ci~f wiii need to accommodate approximately I B,O00 additional acres of singie-famiiy development, and !,200 additionai acres of multi- family development, Based upon the additionai resident ai deveiopment and the existing land use mix, the city ~',,ili need to accommodate approximately 3,000 acres of industrial development, 3200 acres of commercial deveiopment, and 2200 acres of institutionai develop- ment, The p!an encourages infiii development, restoration and redeveioprnent within the existing center city and surrounding the universities, Specific Aspects of the G~o¥~th Iqanagement Strategy Anticipating and aiiowing gro~',,'th aiong the southern borders of the city provided deveiopment pays its own',,vay~ except in cases where the city wishes to provide incen- tives to encourage its desired urban form or corridors, J r I~ ^doptinq an aggressive annexation polio/in orde, to manage the density a,,d quality of growth v,,'ithin current ETJ land, and to mai'nra n the existing certificate of conve- nience and necessity (CCN), Using infrastrudure master plans to develop expectations of adequate levels of public services, In areas ',,vhere water and se~,ver services are provided, moderate density development can be accommodated, In areas ~',,here services are not available, Io~','- density deveiopment will be necessary, using septic systems and weiis, S[ngle-famiiy iow-dens ty residential uses w[Ji be alIo.,ved to deveiop in areas outside of the urbanizing areas, The size of the iots in those areas w[I! be based upon the area required to support a septic system, and wiil vary based upon each location% soi!s. The remaining !and within those areas ~:vou:!d remain as agdcu:Itural uses, Within the urban and urbanizi'ag areas, higher densily residentiai patterns v,,ouid be aiiowed to occur; if strict qua,ity standards are observed, and; These areas couid be deve!oped as neighborhood centers that are developed in an im',,'ard~/oriented manner with a focus upon the center of the neighborhood, These devdopments shouid be estabiished in a manner that locates the center of Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 31 Growth Management tile neighborhood within a five to ten minute waiking distance from the edge of the neighbomood, The center wouid contain uses necessary to support the surrounding neighbor- hood, These support uses could inciude service-oriented retail such as a srnaii grocery, hair saion, dry cleaner, or smali professiona! offices, Resident ai uses could occur a higher densities ~',,ith town homes or residentiai flats above service oriented uses, Open space ~,',,ouid be encouraged ils neighborhood centers with park uses ill- eluding central neighborhood "greens" and fioodp!ain preservation, Eivic uses such asfire stations, schoois, iibraries and mass transportation nodes wouid be encouraged to be essential elements of neighborhood centers as iand- marks that are a focus to the neigllborhood, Tile mix of uses ide',ltified to support each neigisborhood may be developed to incorporate stsops on the ground floor and offices or residences on the upper floors, Futu re residentia! development within estab!ished residential areas wouid be devel- oped in a manner that responds to the existing residentia! development with compat- ibie iand uses and development patterns, Existing neighborhoods within the city be protected and preserved, The center of the infiii development would be in the downtown district where preser- vation, restoration, redevelopment and infiii wouid be the focus, Also, it is recom- mended that the city consider creating "University Districts" at UNT and I~LI, T!sese distrids ',,',,ouid focus on deveioping compatibie supporting iand uses ad}acent to tt~e universities, Accommodate mu!tifamiiy residentiai development in a variety of forms, ]Vlany of the deteriorating apartments adllacent to the universities could be renovated or redevei- oped as new student housing in order to better support the needs of LINT and TWU, Additionaiiy, other types of attached residential deveiopment such as townhornes should be considered, it is recommended that muitifarniiy deveiopment be located in areas that provide transitions bet~,,,,een iower and higher ntensity uses, and in a manner tha ~,',ii! not negatively impact surrounding uses, Additionally, mu!tifamily uses shouid be located n smaii groupings around the city in a manner that provides a mix of uses and densities, rather than concentrating all multifamily uses in one area which can have negative impacts upon the city Accommodate future commerciai uses at key nodes throughout the city It is recom- Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 32 Growth IManagement mended that commerciaI uses not be ~ocated cont,, uously aiong corridors in a "strip" manner. Accommodate businesses in severai activity centers, At the intersection of Loop 288 and IH 35, the pian calls for an activity center, This center wouid be a mixed-use center containing office, retaii, and high-density residentiai uses. This center cou!d aiso include some research or technoiogicai uses tho would be compatibIe with the activities at the univer sities. A second activity center south of the intersection of Loop aaa and IH 35E could contain medical!y reiated offices with a mix of supporting uses. A third activity center on the south side of to~,~n would be located at the citys ETJ along IF] 35 W, This center ~,',,ouid probably deveiop after the first two activity centers and couid support generai office uses or activities support~,ng A!liance Airport. In order to support the proposed activity centers, and to provide additionai support for the universities, the city should consider extending the existing run?ay at the airport to 7,500 feet in length in order to accommodate business jets. Areas immedi~ ateiy adiacent to the airport wouid be reserved farindustdai uses. Industriai uses are typicaIly very compatibie with airports due to noise restddions. These couid include light manufacturing uses, distribution centers, or other industrial uses that are com- patibie with the city's environmentaI quaiity policies, Ex sting fioodp!ains in this area could provide a very effective visual buffer bet,,,veen industrial uses and other sur- rounding uses, Locate future parks and institutionai uses as required to support future residentiai development, These uses will be located in a manner that encourages deve!oping a sense of community within neighborhoods The iayout of neighborhoods should in- corporate these facilities. ~,',ith strong pedestrian links from the surrounding neighbor- hoods, and ?,,'ith Iinks to the citys regional pedestrian and transportation systems. In ail areas, preserve the lO0-year floodpiain in order to provide adequate drainage systems, preserve wildlife habitats, fo r passive r ecreationai uses, fo r the deveiopment of trails systems, and for providing buffers between incompatible tand uses, Evaluate the vaiue and fundion of the natural environment within the study area to identify areas with unique ecoiogical significance for consideration on a more site- specific basis. The city's urban design obiectk~es will be co.,sidered on a more site-specific basis the comprehensive pian. Adopt design standards for all types of development. Balanced and Smart Growth White Paper August - 2003 Page 33