[00:00:01]
WAS IMPORTANT TO BRING COUNSEL UP TO[Town Council Work Session on April 7, 2021.]
SPEED ON, ON THE COMP PLAN.THE LAST TIME IT WAS DONE AS WELL AS OF 1998.
SO I THINK WE'RE DUE TO REVISIT IT AND TRY TO GET SOME GOALS AND SOME GUIDANCE FROM, WITH COUNCIL.
AND, UM, I WILL GO OVER THE, THE COMP PLAN AND WHAT I FEEL, UH, UH, SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR, UH, FOR FUTURE GUIDANCE FROM COUNCIL.
AND THEN TIM WILL GO OVER SOME OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE AND SITE PLAN APPROVAL PROCESS TO HELP US STREAMLINE, UH, HOW WE GO ABOUT APPROVING A DEVELOPMENT.
SO, SO THE OVERVIEW FOR ME IS THAT BETTER? NO, THAT'S GOOD.
SO THE OVERVIEW, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IS A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND ZONING ORDINANCE.
NUMBER TWO IS WHAT ARE THE KEY PRINCIPLES IN A COMP PLAN AND THREE, HOW DOES THE UPDATE PROCESS WORK AND WHAT IS INCLUDED WITHIN A COMP PLAN? I, THE PLANNING, THE ELEMENTS CHAPTERS, WHEN I SAY THAT WE'LL GO INTO THE DETAILS OF WHAT THE ROLE OF COUNCIL, AS WELL AS THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
AND I WANT TO HEAR FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION TOO.
I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE, OH, AND WHAT ARE THE KEY MILESTONES IN DURATION? SO WHAT IS A COMP PLAN? SOMETIMES IT'S REFERRED TO A LAND USE PLAN OR A MASTER PLAN.
UM, BUT FOR OUR SAKE, WE'LL BE CALLING IT A COMP PLAN.
ALTHOUGH IT'S A, FOR SHORT, FOR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, IT TAKES IN CONSIDERATION THE FUTURE ACTIONS OF, OF A COMMUNITY, MAN, W HOW ARE WE GOING TO GO ABOUT MOVING FORWARD? WHAT'S OUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE, WHICH REALLY COUNCIL'S GOING TO HAVE TO KIND OF DEFINE.
UM, AND THEN WITH THAT, UH, WHAT YOU ALL DEFINED KIND OF, UH, MEET WITH, UH, THE PLANNING COMMISSION AS THEY PLAY AN ADVISORY ROLE TO KIND OF LET YOU ALL, LET THEM KNOW WHAT YOU ENVISION AND GET THEIR INPUT TO, UH, IT GUIDES GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, UH, FOR 20 YEARS, UM, YOU CAN DO A 10 PLAN, BUT IN GENERAL, A 20 YEAR PLAN IS WHAT IS NEEDED.
AND THEN EVERY FIVE YEARS UPDATED AGAIN.
UH, THE LAST ONE THAT WAS DONE WAS THE 1998.
UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF REVISIONS.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING TO RETRY IT.
UH, IT'S ALSO GOING TO HAVE AN UPDATE OF FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
THAT'S THE BLUEPRINT THAT WILL TELL YOU WHAT SOME OF THE, THE ZONING PIECES ARE, UH, WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THEY'LL ZONE OUT THOSE AREAS, LITERALLY, AND THEN, UH, COUNSEL WOULD NEED TO KIND OF FOCUS ON THE LONG RANGE, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF WHAT THEY SEE, UH, THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN THE COMP PLAN AN ACT, IS THAT AN ACTIVE THROUGH THE ZONING ORDINANCE? THAT IS THE, UH, TRUE, UH, UH, DEVELOPMENT WHEN IT COMES TO THE LAND, USE A LOT.
WHAT CAN INDIVIDUALS DO ON THE PROPERTY? NO DOUBT.
THERE'S PROPERTY RIGHTS, BUT ALSO, UM, THERE'S DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, UM, THROUGH THE ZONING ORDERS, UH, THE PHYSICAL ASSETS, INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING, YOU KNOW, WHERE DO WE WANT OUR, OUR WATER AND SEWER? DO WE WANT TO LOOK AT BROADBAND AND DOWN THE ROAD, UH, HOW DO WE BUILD CAPACITY? DO WE NEED MORE TOWERS IN CERTAIN SPOTS OF THE TOWN? UH, AND THEN AGAIN, THAT COMPLIMENTS THE ZONING ORDINANCE, THE COMP PLAN HAS TO COMPLIMENT, AND IT HAS TO MAKE SENSE.
SO WHAT ARE THE KEY PRINCIPLES THAT SHOULD BE, IT SHOULD BE COMPREHENSIVE AND OBVIOUS THERE, IT SHOULD BE LONG RANGE, AT LEAST LOOKING OUT 20 YEARS, IT SHOULD BE GENERAL WITH PREDICTABILITY, UH, THE, UH, ANY DEVELOPERS OR INVESTORS OR HOMEOWNERS OR CITIZENS.
THEY SHOULD KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE TOWN PLANS TO DO.
AND WHEN SOMEONE POINTS AND, AND WANTS TO KNOW WHAT CAN THEY DO TO THEIR PROPERTY, UM, IT'S VERY CLEAR.
AND THEN ALSO IT'S VERY CLEAR ON IF THEY WANT TO REZONE SOMETHING, WATER, THE TRIGGER POINTS FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
UM, THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY GUESSING GAMES AND EVERY, UH, UH, DEVELOPER CITIZEN WHO SUBMITS A SITE PLAN PLANNING STAFF, AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION SHOULD BE ABLE TO POINT TO SOMETHING IN THE CA PLAN FOR THE ZONING ORDINANCE THAT SAYS, THIS IS WHY YOU CAN, OR CAN'T DO, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS OR SOMETHING THAT, UM, THE GOVERNING BODY CAN WORK WITH, BUT IT'S NOT REQUIRED THAT YOU FOCUS ON PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT WHILE WE WANT, YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT, UH, SOME OF OUR, UH, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS AND ALSO POTENTIALLY A FUTURE FACILITY PLANNING NEEDS, AS I'M AWARE, WE FEEL AS THE TOWN GROWS OR THE COMMUNITY GROWS WHERE WE WANT TO PUT DIFFERENT FACILITIES AND IT SHOULD RELATE TO COMMUNITY GOALS, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC POLICIES.
THERE SHOULD BE A POLICY INSTRUMENT
[00:05:01]
FIRST AND A TECHNICAL INSTRUMENT.SECOND, IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT GOD'S COUNSELING THAT THE DECISION PROCESS.
AND ALTHOUGH IT COULD BE USED AS A TECHNICAL TOOL TO BE ABLE TO PINPOINT CERTAIN AREAS, IT'S STILL JUST A GUY.
THAT'S NOT ANYTHING WHERE YOU, THE COUNCIL CANNOT MAKE A DECISIONS ON DOING SOMETHING ELSE BASED ON PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION.
SO HOW DOES THE UPDATE PROCESS WORK COUNSEL WILL NEED TO ESTABLISH THE VISION GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
UH, THEY WILL BE THE WANTS THE GOVERNING BODY.
THEY'RE ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COMP PLAN.
AND TO DO THAT AFTER THEY KIND OF HAVE A BRAINSTORMING SESSION, UH, THERE NEEDS TO BE A JOINT COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION KICKOFF MEETING A WORK SESSION.
AND THAT'S WHERE, UH, BOTH THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AS WELL AS THE COUNCIL WILL SHARE SOME OF THE VISIONS AND GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
SO EVERYONE WILL BE CLEAR WHEN WE, WHEN WE START THIS PROCESS, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS.
UH, COUNCIL NEEDS TO ESTABLISH A TECHNICAL ADVISOR COMMITTEE GROUP THAT COULD BE A DIVERSE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS FROM DEVELOPERS, REAL ESTATE.
UH, THOSE WHO ARE, UH, IN THE NATURAL RESOURCE AREA, UH, TECHNICAL COMMITTEE GROUP THAT IS HEAVILY ENGAGED, THAT COMES THROUGH EACH CHAPTER, UH, AND TRIES TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL ADVICE TO PLANNING COMMISSION AND COUNCIL, UH, THAT RELATES TO THE VISION AND GOALS, UH, STAFF AND THE CONSULTANTS WILL DRAFT THE PLANNING ELEMENT CHAPTERS.
I JUST LEARNED TODAY THAT THERE'S ALREADY, UH, SOME DOCUMENTS THAT WE HAVE STARTED, UH, WRITING.
UH, AND SO I HAVEN'T REVIEWED THEM.
UH, TIM HASN'T REVIEWED THEM, BUT WE WILL, UH, REVIEW, UH, HERE REAL SOON.
JUST SEE HOW FAR HAVE WE ALREADY ARE.
UM, UH, AND THEN PC REVIEWS, THE DRAFT PLAN, UH, THEY'LL BE THE ONES WHO REVIEWED THE DRAFT PLAN AS WELL AS THE ZONING MAP IN ORDINANCE.
UH, AND WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW THEM POTENTIALLY IN CHAPTERS BECAUSE THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME CHAPTERS IN THE PLAN THAT WE'LL GO OVER, THAT WE COULD DO QUICKLY.
I E LIKE TRANSPORTATION, UM, THERE'S OUR, OUR ROAD NETWORK ISN'T REALLY THAT COMPLEX.
WE CAN PROBABLY NAIL THAT ONE, GET BEAT UP AND REVIEW IT.
TYPICALLY IT TAKES 90 DAYS HAVE THEM SIGN OFF OF IT AT PC, MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
AND THEN COUNCIL APPROVES THAT PARTICULAR CHAPTER INSTEAD OF, UH, PROVEN AT ALL AT ONCE.
OUR RECOMMENDATION WILL BE APPROVING EACH CHAPTER, UH, PC RE RECEIVES PUBLIC INPUT AND HOLDS COMMUNITY FORUMS. THAT WILL BE WHERE THEY GO OUT IN DIFFERENT SPOTS OF WITHIN THE TOWN.
THEY'LL HAVE PRETTY MUCH ON TRIPODS, KIND OF THE ZONING MAP, AS WELL AS SOME INFORMATION ON EACH OF THE CHAPTERS OR THOSE PARTICULAR CHAPTERS COUNCIL WILL BE APPROVING, PROVIDE INPUT, UH, PC, WE'LL TAKE IT BACK, WORK WITH STAFF AND THE CONSULTANT KIND OF FIGURE OUT, SHOULD WE BLEND IT IN OR ANYTHING, KEEP IN MIND.
THEY'RE NOT ANYTHING THAT, UH, NEEDS TO BE INCORPORATED ALL THE TIME, BUT A LOT OF TIMES YOU GET SOME GOOD INFORMATION FROM IT.
UH, THEN PC SENDS THE RECOMMENDED PLAN TO COUNCIL.
AGAIN, IT CAN BE ALL THE CHAPTERS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN IT, OR IT CAN BE INDIVIDUALS.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE GOT TO WORK THROUGH SOME OF THE SCHEDULES.
AND THEN COUNCIL HOLDS A PUBLIC HEARING, UH, ON IT, UH, THAT PUBLIC HEARING, YOU CAN HAVE ONE, OR YOU COULD HAVE TWO, YOU CAN.
AND PART OF THAT PUBLIC HEARING IS LISTENED FROM THE CITIZENS AND COMMUNITY.
AND THEN FROM THERE, UH, ADOPT, UH, THAT PART OF THAT CHAPTER AGAIN, OR THE WHOLE, AND THEN ALSO THE ZONING MAP IN THE ORDINANCE.
SO AT A GLANCE ON THE PROCESS, WE GOTTA GET ORGANIZED.
WE GOTTA GO AHEAD AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO PULL OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES TOGETHER.
UH, START THINKING OF FOLKS WHO YOU WOULD WANT ON THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO COMB THROUGH THE PLANS IN EACH CHAPTERS AND WORKING WITH PC ON THAT AREA, WHO START THINKING UPSET AND THE VISION OF WHAT WE WANT AS PART OF THE COMP PLAN.
WHAT IS THE THEME? WHAT DO WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH? WE GOT TO ANALYZE THE SITUATION, MEANING NOT SO MUCH LIKE A SWOT, BUT TRY TO FIGURE OUT, UH, WHERE ARE THE AREAS THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON.
IT MAY BE, UH, TRYING TO IMPROVE SOME OF OUR, UH, AMENITIES WITHIN THE TOWN.
UH, IT CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON, AND THEN SET THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
UH, I E THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE THAT MAY BE A GOAL THAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON, UH, MORE, UH, DENSE DENSITY WHEN IT COMES TO DEVELOPMENT, REDEVELOPMENT, ET CETERA.
UM, AND THEN PREPARE THE COMP PLAN.
THAT'S WHEN WE WOULD ACTUALLY START THE COMP PLAN, UH, AFTER WE GET ALL THE ONE THROUGH FIVE, WE CAN, WE'LL START WRITING THE COMP PLAN, WRITING THE CHAPTERS, WE'LL START DRAFTING THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
AND THEN THAT'S WHERE WE COULD START CONDUCTING THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
[00:10:01]
AND THEN AGAIN, UH, PC AND COUNCIL REVIEW ADOPT PARTS OF THE CHAPTERS OR ALL, AND THEN ULTIMATELY APPROVE THE COMP PLAN AND ZONING ORDERS.SO I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE WHAT'S IN THE COMP PLAN AND THE PLANNING ELEMENTS.
UM, AND WHEN I'VE DONE ONE OF THESE, I MEAN, WE CAN GO REALLY DEEP.
YOU CAN KEEP THIS REALLY SIMPLE EACH CHAPTER WHERE YOU CAN REALLY EXPAND ON A LOT OF INFORMATION.
SO THE COMMUNITY CHARACTER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER LLOYD MADE A COMMENT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE FEEL IN THIS COMMUNITY? WHAT FIELD WOULD WE WANT? YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE KEEP IT? UH, SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF A COMMUNITY CHARACTER.
YOU KNOW, WHAT TYPE OF, UH, LIFE STYLE, QUALITY OF LIFE, ALL THAT IS INCLUDED IN THAT PIECE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHERE YOU CAN CREATE IT, OUR FRONT ROYAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, WE CAN TOUCH ON THE COMP PLAN, BUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE EDA, WE WILL BE SUBMITTED A PROPOSAL WHERE WE'D COME UP WITH OUR OWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN, AS WELL AS OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND IT NEEDS TO COMPLIMENT, IT NEEDS TO KIND OF BLEND TOGETHER OTHER TOURISM AS WELL, A BIG PIECE OF THE COMP PLAN THAT JLL, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON IS ALL OF, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT, THE ENVIRONMENT, UM, BECOMING A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY, ADDRESSING SOME OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL NEEDS OF IT.
UH, AND THEN THE HOUSING START DISCUSSING THE HOUSING ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, WORKFORCE HOUSING, WHAT TYPE OF HOUSE WHEN WE WANT, BUT WHAT TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT, WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING AND MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT PLAN, UNIT DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THOSE ARE OUR ROADS OR WATER OR SEWER TOUCH BASE ON OUR CRITICAL ASSETS.
AND THEN POPULATION GROWTH, HOW WE PREPARE FOR POPULATION GROWTH, WHAT ARE THE PROJECTIONS HALF OF THAT COMPLIMENTS FROM OUR, UH, OUR WATER CAPACITY TO OUR ROADMAP, HOW WE PREPARE FOR THAT.
AND THEN TRANSPORTATION, WE MENTIONED THAT, UM, I EVEN INCLUDE PUBLIC.
WE HAVE THE TROLLEY, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE MAXIMIZE THAT AS A, AS A WAY FOR CITIZENS TO GO ABOUT IN THE TOWN AND THEN OUTDOOR RECREATION? I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE ARE DEFINITELY AN OUTDOOR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, A LOT OF ATTRACTIONS THAT PEOPLE WILL WANT TO DO AND ACTIVITIES.
AND SO THERE IS A PIECE OF THE CHAPTER THAT COUNCILS COULD INCLUDE WHEN IT COMES TO SOME OF OUR, UH, OUR RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AND THE PROCESS.
SO WHAT ARE THE KEY MILESTONES IN DURATION? UH, AND THIS IS JUST A TENTATIVE SCHEDULE.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, UH, FOUND OUT THAT ALSO, UH, DARRELL MENTIONED THAT, THAT HE HAS WORKED ON COMING UP WITH A MILESTONE AND SCHEDULE.
HOWEVER, FROM OUR STANDPOINT, NOW IT'S BEEN CONDUCT IN A, UH, IN A, IN A SITUATION WHERE WE NEED TO REALLY GET GOING ON THIS, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO TAKE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF.
AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT A YEAR AND A HALF, WE'LL GO BY.
AND, BUT THERE'S ALSO, UH, UH, TIMING IS OF THE ESSENCE BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, INVESTORS AND DEVELOPERS LOOKING AT FRONT ROYAL, AND THEY WANT TO KIND OF KNOW WHAT WE CAN OR CAN'T DO, UH, IN ADVANCE.
SO APRIL, UH, WE WILL BE PUTTING OUT A REQUEST FOR REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, FOR A CONSULTANT TO ASSIST US IN A HYBRID APPROACH, UM, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE ANALYTICS AND THE DATA THAT WE NEED, UH, THE CONSULTANTS HAVE THE DISTRICTS TO KIND OF PRODUCE THAT INFORMATION.
AND SO WE PLAN ON PUTTING ONE OUT, UH, THIS MONTH, UH, UH, AND WE WERE ABLE TO FIND THE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS.
IT CAN RANGE BETWEEN 50 TO $90,000 IF WE DO THE HYBRID APPROACH OR THE FULL APPROACH IN THAT RAGE.
AND SO I, I I'VE BEEN ABLE TO FIND THE DOLLARS IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET WITHOUT GOING BACK TO COUNCIL FOR ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS.
AND SO WE DO HAVE THE MEANS TO BE ABLE TO FINISH THE COUNCIL, DESIRE THAT IF WE GO THROUGH THE RFP, UH, IN JULY, I'LL BRING IT TO COUNCIL TO AWARD THE CONTRACT.
UM, AND WE NEED TO START IN SEPTEMBER BY THE TIME WE'LL HAVE A CONSULTANT ON BOARD, AS WELL AS THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WE REALLY NEED TO START THINKING OF WATER, VISION GOALS, AND OUR OBJECTIVES ARE, AND TRULY NAILED DOWN A TIGHT SCHEDULE.
UH, THEN COUNCIL WORKING WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION NEEDS TO ESTABLISH SOME OF THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE GROUPS.
AND YOU CAN HAVE ONE OR TWO, YOU CAN HAVE ONE THAT, THAT IS A DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, AND YOU CAN HAVE ONE THAT HAS TO DO WITH SOME PEOPLE WHO WANT MORE INVOLVED IN THE SOCIAL ECONOMIC AREA, OR YOU CAN BLEND THE TWO, WHICH SOMETIMES BLENDING THE TWO IT'S BENEFICIAL BECAUSE THEY BOTH SEE EACH OTHER'S VIEWPOINT, BUT IT IS CRITICAL TO HAVE THAT, UH, GROUP, UH, IN NOVEMBER, UH, HOW THEY GO TO THE HEALTHY, OR WE NEED TO HAVE A JOINT PC KICKOFF WORK
[00:15:01]
SESSION.UH, AND THAT'S JUST A DISCUSSION.
WE CAN HAVE IT, YOU KNOW, AT THE BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER, KIND OF, UM, SHARE WHAT EVERYONE'S THINKING.
AND THEN IN NOVEMBER, WE ALL AGREE ON IT AND WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE COMP PLAN.
SO THE POD TIME, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, JANUARY, AND FEBRUARY, THERE'LL BE A LOT OF WORK INVOLVED, UH, PLUS WITH THE HOLIDAYS.
SO IN MARCH, UM, IT'S OUR HOPE THAT AT LEAST THE PLANNING COMMISSION PC WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW DRAFT OF THE TEXT OF THE CHAPTERS OR CHAPTER, DEPENDING ON WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WE DECIDE WE WANT TO FOCUS ON FIRST, THEN WE'LL BE STARTING THE ZONING MAP, UH, AT A WORK SESSION.
THE PC WILL IDENTIFY THOSE AREAS THAT ARE, ARE SPECIFICALLY ZONE IN CERTAIN AREAS.
AND THEN PC RELEASES A DRAFT COMP PLAN.
NOW, AGAIN, THAT COULD BE A DRAFT CHAPTER OR CHAPTERS.
UM, AND, AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE MENTIONED, THE TRANSPORTATION, THE HOUSING, THE ECONOMIC, THE TERRORISM, UM, AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THEN IN JUNE, UH, HAVE BACK-TO-BACK PUBLIC CITIZENS INFORMATION MEETINGS OR COMMUNITY MEETINGS, THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD DISPLAY SOME OF THE, AT LEAST THE ZONING MAT AND SOME OF THE PRELIMINARY DRAFT COMP PLAN FOR INPUT.
I THINK, AND SEPTEMBER COUNCIL WOULD REVIEW THE CHAPTERS AND ZONING MAPS TO START JUST REVIEWING OR IN WORK SESSION TO START UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE GOING.
ALSO HAVE A CHECK-IN TO MAKE SURE WE'RE STILL ON SCHEDULE.
AND THEN IN NOVEMBER STARTED HAVING A PUBLIC HEARING AND RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ADOPTION OF THE PC IN THAT TIMEFRAME.
AND THEN IN NOVEMBER, WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER COUNCIL WORK SESSION BECAUSE EVEN FROM THE PUBLIC HEARING, COUNSEL MAY HAVE SOME OTHER THOUGHTS ON WHAT THEY MAY WANT STAFF TO LOOK INTO, OR, OR FOR CONSIDERATION, AND THEN DECEMBER, UH, UH, THE WORK SESSION PUBLIC HEARING.
AND THEN WE GO AHEAD AND, UH, MAKE THE ADOPTION AFTER WE HAVE OTHER INPUT.
SO THAT'S THE PART, UM, WITH THE COMP PLAN, UH, KEEP, KEEP IN MIND, THAT'S A HIGH-LEVEL SCHEDULE, BUT STILL THINK ABOUT IT.
WE PROBABLY WON'T BE DONE IN MY OPINION TILL JANUARY 20, 23.
UH, IF WE DON'T STICK TO A SCHEDULE, I STILL THINK THAT WE CAN TIGHTEN THE SCHEDULE UP.
AND IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE GUIDANCE COUNSELOR, UH, STAFF AND PLANNING COMMISSION ON HOW DEEP DO YOU WANT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN? SOMETIMES TOO MUCH INFORMATION DOESN'T REALLY DO MUCH VERSUS JUST KEEPING IT VERY SIMPLE TO THE POINT I THINK, AND GET CITIZENS' INPUT.
I THINK WE CAN KINDA TIGHTEN THE SCHEDULE UP.
UM, SO FOR NOW I'M GONNA, UM, ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE'S ON THE PHONE, ANY THOUGHTS ON THE RIGHT PATH IN GENERAL STAY THE COURSE SOUNDS GOOD.
SO THEN THE NEXT PART IS, UH, AS TIM, HE'S GOING TO GO OVER SOME OF THE APPROVAL AUTHORITY AND MAJOR SITE DEVELOPMENT, BECAUSE WE WANTED THE COUNCIL'S, UH, UH, GUIDANCE AND GOALS IS TO LOOK AT WAYS WE CAN KIND OF IMPROVE OUR, UH, OUR SITE PLAN PROCESS, SOME OF OUR APPROVAL PROCESS PROCESS, UH, TO DETERMINE WHAT CAN BE ADMINISTRATIVELY APPROVED AND ALSO WHAT PC PROVES OR, OR, OR WHAT, WHAT THAT, WHAT, WHAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVES THAT COULD BE TRANSFERRED TO PLANNING STAFF FOR APPROVAL.
AND THEN ALSO WHAT THIS COUNCIL APPROVES THAT MAY BE, UH, MOVED, UH, TO THE ADMIN PIECE OR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF HOW WE GO ABOUT MOVING SITE PLANS, BECAUSE, UH, THAT'S ALSO IN THEME OF SOME OF THE GOALS OF US LOOKING AT, UH, A BUILDING CODE, UH, AND INSPECTION DIVISION.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO DO A ONE STOP SHOP WHERE EVERYTHING IS WITHIN ONE DEPARTMENT, WHERE WE CAN EASILY, WHEN A CUSTOMER COMES IN, LISTENING TO THEM, IDENTIFY THEIR SCOPE OF WORK AND DETERMINE IF WE NEED TO APPROVE IT AND MOVE ON, OR TAKE IT TO PIECES.
YOU SEE FLORIDA ACCOUNTS TO COME OVER HERE.
AS SOON AS I WAS ASKED TO LOOK AT A COUPLE OF WAYS, MAYBE TO TRY TO IMPROVE SOME TIME AND COST EFFICIENCIES, UM, FOR BOTH THE TOWN AND DEVELOPERS AND PROPERTY OWNERS AND COMPLYING WITH AND MAKING APPLICATION FOR VARIOUS, UH, APPLICATIONS, UH, PARTICULARLY ZONING WHERE THE BULK OF THE ACTIVITY, UH, CONTINUES JUST A REAL QUICK, UH, OVERSIGHT HERE OF, OF ZONING AND HOW SITE PLANS WORK INTO THAT UNDER THE ZONING ORDINANCE, THERE'S REALLY TWO FORMS OF APPROVAL.
[00:20:01]
PERMIT, WHICH IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS THAT'S APPROVED BY THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR OR OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF.AND THEN THERE'S THE SPECIAL USE DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT'S A PERMITTING PROCESS THAT GOES THROUGH THE COUNCIL ALSO GOES TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN WHICH THEY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO YOU.
UM, IN SHORT, THAT THAT'S HOW THE USES ARE DIVIDED UNDER ZONING.
NOW, EACH ONE OF THESE USES REQUIRE SOME LEVEL OF A SITE PLAN OR EVEN A SITE SKETCH BECAUSE WHAT ZONING REGULATES IS ESSENTIALLY TWO THINGS IT REGULATES USE, AND IT REGULATES PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PROPERTY.
THE APPLICATION USUALLY HAS THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE YOUTH TO MAKE SURE THAT IT COMPLIES WITH THE USE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ORDINANCE, THE SITE PLAN OR THE SITE SKETCH IS WHERE YOU GRAPHICALLY PORTRAY THAT IT MEETS ALL OF THE PHYSICAL AND SITE DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS OF THE ORDINANCE.
BE IT SETBACK FROM PROPERTY BONDS, FOR THE BUILDINGS, THE NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES AND SO FORTH.
AND WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SITE PLANS, AND EACH OF THEM ARE ACTUALLY A PART OF, OR A COMPANY, EITHER A ZONING PERMIT OR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
THE FIRST ONE IS CALLED IT JUST A SKETCH PLAN, VERY SIMPLE, VERY BASIC.
THIS IS THE TYPE OF THINGS TESTS IS DOWN AND SKETCHES OUT AT THE DESK.
YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO PUT UP DETACHED TO GARAGE IN THE CORNER OF YOUR LOT.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NEED A LICENSED SURVEYOR TO FIGURE THAT ONE OUT.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN GET A GOOD COPY OF THE SURVEY, PUT IT INTO SCALE AND DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT THROUGH A SITE SKETCH AS DEVELOPMENTS BECOME MORE COMPLEX, MORE INFORMATION, IT MOVES ON TO A MINOR SITE PLAN.
AND THEN FOR THE, FOR THE LARGER, UH, DEVELOPMENTS, ESPECIALLY YOUR COMMERCIAL, UH, YOUR INDUSTRIAL, UH, YOUR MULTIFAMILY, YOU'RE MOVING INTO A MAJOR SITE PLAN, WHETHER IT'S MUCH MORE INFORMATION AND ALSO STUDIES CURRENTLY THE ZONING IS, IS COVERED BY THAT.
AND INTERESTING ENOUGH, ALL OF THE SITE PLANS THAT ARE REQUIRED BY THE ZONING ORDINANCE REFER YOU TO CHAPTER ONE 48.
SO FIRST DIRECTS YOU TO A WHOLE ANOTHER PART OF THE CODE, UH, TO DETERMINE WHAT TYPE OF SITE PLAN YOU NEED, ALL OF THE SITE PLAN, UH, IN TERMS OF DETERMINING WHAT TYPE OF SITE PLANNERS REQUIRE, UH, ANY WAIVERS OF INFORMATION THAT MAY BE REQUIRED, UH, FOR PARTICULAR SITES PLAN, IF IT'S NOT NEEDED, UH, ALL THOSE DECISIONS ARE MADE ADMINISTRATIVELY THE APPROVAL OF A SITE SKETCH.
AND EVEN THE APPROVAL OF MINOR SITE PLANS ARE ALSO ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL PROCESSES THAT IS, ARE DONE BY THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR.
THE ONLY ONE THAT IS DIFFERENT ARE MAJOR SITE PLANS AND MAJOR SITE PLANS, CHAPTER ONE 48, DESIGNATES THE PLANNING COMMISSION AS THE APPROVING AUTHORITY FOR SITE PLANS.
SO EVEN IF IT'S A RIGHT BY USE THAT THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR IS GOING TO REVIEW, UM, THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR DOES HAVE TO SCHEDULE HAPPY ALL INFORMATION, OR IT IS TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION PLANNING COMMISSION MUST REVIEW AND MUST TAKE AN ACTION TO, UH, HOPEFULLY EVENTUALLY APPROVE THE SITE PLAN.
MAJOR SITE PLANS ARE ALSO REQUIRED TO BE SUBMITTED AT THE SAME TIME THAT A SPECIAL USE DEPARTMENT IS SUBMITTED, UH, THAT THAT GOES, GOES TO COUNCIL.
AND SAME THING THAT SITE PLAN WILL GO TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
THEY WILL REVIEW IT IN TERMS OF THEIR DETERMINATION OF APPROVAL.
IT'S NOT ANYTHING AS FAR AS THE, THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S CAPABILITIES ON LOOKING AT THAT MAJOR SITE PLANS CAN COME VERY COMPLEX BECAUSE THEY DO REQUIRE THE MOST AMOUNT OF INFORMATION.
UM, BUT WHAT IT DOES, IT DOES ADD A SIGNIFICANT TIME ELEMENT TO WHERE IF THE SITE PLAN WAS DONE BY AN ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL.
AND IF THERE WAS A USE PERMITTED BY RIGHT ZONING ADMINISTRATOR OR OUR OFFICE WOULD ADMINISTRATIVELY TAKE IN THE ZONING PERMIT, WE WOULD IMMEDIATELY BEGIN OUR REVIEW OF THE MAJOR SITE PLAN FORWARD IT TO THE OTHER AGENCIES, ESPECIALLY EVEN THE TOWN ENGINEER.
AND AS SOON AS THAT SITE PLAN WAS, WAS DEEMED ADEQUATE OR COMPLIANT BY ALL OTHER AGENCIES AND THE ENGINEER ZONING ADMINISTRATOR WOULD BE ABLE TO SIGN OFF ON THE ENTIRE ZONING PERMIT AND IT WOULD BE ON ITS WAY.
UM, SO IT CAN HAVE A, A SIGNIFICANT TIME-SAVING SEEING OUT THE PLANNING PERMISSION GERO GENERALLY MEETS ONCE A MONTH, UH, AS YOU DO NOW, ONCE A MONTH ON MAJOR APPLICATIONS, SAME SITUATION COULD STILL HOLD
[00:25:01]
TRUE.UH, EVEN WITH A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
NOW, THIS COUNCIL, YOU MAY WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN CHANGES TO THAT USE PERMIT BASED UPON PUBLIC COMMENT THAT YOU HEAR, YOU MAY WANT TO IMPOSE A CERTAIN CONDITIONS THAT REQUIRED CHANGES TO THAT SITE PLAN ADMINISTRATIVELY.
THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR CAN NOT MAKE THOSE CHANGES IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOUR MEETING, BECAUSE THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR ISN'T THE APPROVING AUTHORITY FOR MAJOR SITE PLANS.
WE WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE TO WAIT IF ANYTHING CHANGED FROM THAT SITE PLAN THROUGH THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO SEND IT BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, TO HAVE THE APPROVAL OF THOSE CHANGES MADE, WHICH ONCE AGAIN ADDS TIME AND COST TO THE PROCESS.
SO MY RECOMMENDATION IN TERMS OF SAVING BOTH A COST AND TIME FOR BOTH TOWN STAFF AND THE APPLICANT WOULD BE TO HAVE ALL SITE PLAN ACTIONS ADMINISTRATIVELY, UH, APPROVED, AS YOU SEE THERE, UH, THE TOWN MANAGER IS INDICATED AN INTEREST IN, UM, BEING DESIGNATED AS HOUSES, ZONING ADMINISTRATOR, AND AS SUCH, HE COULD DESIGNATE ANY OF THE DEPARTMENT STAFF DOWN BELOW DO ALSO PERFORM ZONING FUNCTIONS, EITHER THROUGH BEING A DEPUTY ZONING ADMINISTRATOR OR A ZONING ZONING OFFICER THAT WOULD REQUIRE A CODE CHANGE, BUT NONETHELESS, IT STILL GETS TO THE POINT.
IT WOULD STILL KEEP IT ALL AN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS, WHICH WOULD MAKE BOTH THE ZONING PERMIT AND THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT A, A QUICKER AND LESS EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION PROMOTE THE TOWN AND THE APP.
SO I PUT THAT OUT THERE FOR YOU.
HEY TIM, I'M THE ADMINISTRATOR APPROVAL PROCESS.
AND AGAIN, SINCE FROM MY EXPERIENCE AND IT TYPICALLY A LOT OF IT IS ADMINISTRATIVELY APPROVED AT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT LEVEL, CORRECT.
SO THIS IS KIND OF A UNIQUE CASE HERE IN FRONT ROYAL.
SO THAT'S, UM, WE JUST WANTED TO GROUP COUNCIL INSTITUTION, UH, SHOULD WE WANT TO CHANGE IT TO BE MORE IN LINE WITH HOW OTHER LOCALITIES ARE, UH, ARE DOING THEIR APPROVAL PROCESS AND, AND JUST ONE OTHER THAN I KNOW THE TWO THINGS I JUST EXPLAINED TO YOU WHERE WE'RE FROM, YOU KNOW, A, A PRACTICAL LEVEL FROM A LEGAL LEVEL, YOU CAN HAVE A ZONING ADMINISTRATOR WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO REVIEW AND APPROVE THAT ZONING DEPARTMENT AND THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR AS ALL AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNING BODY, IF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR DISAGREE AS TO A MATTER OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE SITE PLAN, WHAT YOU HAVE ARE TWO COMPETING AUTHORITIES UNDER A SINGULAR PERMIT, WHICH IS ALSO A PROBLEM, WHICH, UM, YOU WOULD LIKE TO AVOID.
AND ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS NO PROCESS SPELLED OUT IN THE ORDINANCE.
IF A PERSON DISAGREES WITH A DECISION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION CONCERNING THE APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF A SITE PLAN, THERE IS NO APPEAL MECHANISM FOR THAT.
THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS, ALL THE YEARS OF FIELD CONTENT ADMINISTRATORS, THEY WOULD NOT HEAR AN APPEAL FROM ANY ACTION THAT WAS TAKEN BY A PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE ORDINANCE DOESN'T SET FORTH ANY OTHER, UM, APPEAL METHOD, SHOULD THERE BE SUCH A SITUATION? SO I THINK IT ALSO HAS, UH, HAS THE, UH, IT HASN'T HAPPENED YET, BUT IT'S, ONCE AGAIN, YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T WANT TO WAIT UNTIL THAT TYPE OF PROBLEM PRESENTS ITSELF TO TRY TO REMEDY IT.
AND THE OTHER TALK ABOUT THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING THE TOWN MANAGER, WHICH A FENCE AND A LOT OF LOCALITIES, THE TOWN MANAGER IS THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR.
YOU DO HAVE A DEPUTY ZONING ADMINISTRATOR, WHICH WOULD BE THE DIRECTOR, THE PLANNING DIRECTOR, BUT SHOULD THERE BE TIMES WHICH, UH, UH, AGAIN, LOOK AT IT AS THE POSITION THAT THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE IN THERE RIGHT NOW THAT, THAT A DEPUTY, UH, ZONING ADMINISTRATOR DOESN'T REALLY AGREE WITH IT INSTEAD OF GOING TO THE BZA, THEN IT WOULD GO TO THE TOWN MANAGER FOR REVIEW AND DETERMINE THE DECISION.
SO IT SAVES A STEP PROCESS BECAUSE NOW IF THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR DOESN'T APPROVE OF IT, THEN IT GOES TO THE BZA AND THAT CAN TAKE TIME VERSUS NOW THE DEPUTY DOESN'T APPROVE OF IT.
AT LEAST THE TOWN MANAGER GETS OPPORTUNITY TO CAREFULLY REVIEW THE CASE AND SITUATION AND MAKE A DECISION.
SO IT REALLY IMPROVES THE FLOW.
NOW, IF THE TOWN MANAGER DOESN'T AGREE WITH IT, THEN IT WOULD GO TO THE BZA.
SO IT ALSO HELPS STREAMLINE THE PROCESS.
WE JUST WANTED TO BRING YOU UP TO SPEED FOR THAT.
I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THE PUBLIC PRAISE HIM FOR IT IS ALSO JUST TO RECOGNIZE HIM FOR HIS TIME HERE.
AND THIS WAS ABLE TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET IN FRONT OF COUNCIL, AND THEN ALSO SHARE WHERE
[00:30:01]
WE FEEL.UM, WE SHOULD BE GOING AS A, AS A STAFF.
OBVIOUSLY COUNCIL ULTIMATELY NEEDS THE BOT FEEDBACK.
AND IF COUNCIL FEELS LIKE THIS MAY BE A, UM, SOMETHING, WE SHOULD ALSO DO ANOTHER WORK SESSION AND SAME PRESENTATION TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSIONS AMONG ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, WE'RE WILLING TO DO THAT, BUT, UM, IT ALL LINE UP ON TRYING AGAIN TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS.
LET, UH, LET PEOPLE KNOW WE'RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS, COME IN A MORE BUSINESS FRIENDLY COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE CARE UP, UH, BUILDING OF THE COUNCIL DECIDED TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION.
AND JUST THE VERY LAST ONE, ONCE AGAIN, IS ON THE SAME THEME WE'RE DEALING WITH CHAPTER ONE 48, WHICH IS ENTITLED SUBDIVISION AND LAND DEVELOPMENT.
AND WE ALSO STILL HAVE CHAPTER ONE 75, WHICH IS OWNING AND THAT'S PURELY ZONING.
UM, ONE INTERESTING THING IS ABOUT ONE 48 AS JUST DISCUSSED IS THAT THE SITE SKETCHES AND SITE PLANS THAT ARE REQUIRED BY ZONING ARE NOT FOUND IN THESE ZONING ORDINANCE.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY FOUND IN CHAPTER ONE 48.
THERE ARE ALSO PARKING STANDARDS THAT ARE ZONING REQUIREMENTS THAT FOR WHATEVER REASONS ARE NOT CONTAINED IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE, BUT THEY ARE FOUND UNDER CHAPTER ONE 48.
I PROPOSE THAT, UH, IT'S MUCH MORE USER-FRIENDLY, UH, TO HAVE ALL OF YOUR ZONING REQUIREMENTS AND REGULATIONS UNDERNEATH ONE CHAPTER AS OPPOSED TO MULTIPLE CHAPTERS.
IT ALSO, ONCE AGAIN, BRINGS UP INTERESTING QUESTIONS IF THERE'S AN APPEAL.
NOW, EVEN THOUGH THE, UH, THE PARKING REQUIREMENT MAY BE A ZONING REQUIREMENT, IT'S FOUND IN ONE 48, IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO APPEAL A PARKING DECISION, BUT NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES, UM, SINCE IT'S CONTAINED IN ONE 48, DOES IT FOLLOW THE APPEAL PROCEDURES IN ONE 48, WHICH WOULD BE TO GO TO THE, TO THE GOVERNING BODY OR SHOULD IT GO TO THE BZA AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE IT SHOULD GO.
SO THIS WOULD NOT BE CHANGING THE CONTENT OR THE MEANING OF ANY, UH, REGULATIONS IT WOULD SIMPLY BE AT, IN MY MIND, A BETTER REORGANIZATION OF THE CODE.
IT WOULD PUT ALL ZONING REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING WHAT TYPE OF PLANS NEEDED TO BE SUBMITTED IN ONE CHAPTER.
AND THEN IT WOULD TURN CHAPTER ONE 48 TRULY INTO JUST, HEY, SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE QUESTION.
WHEN YOU WERE SAYING EARLIER ABOUT, WE WOULD LOOK AT EACH CHAPTER AND POSSIBLY APPROVE IT BY CHAPTERS, YOU'RE IN 175 CHAPTERS
THE TOWN CODE DOESN'T HAVE THAT, THAT CHAPTER SEVEN.
AND AGAIN, GOING BACK HOW COUNCIL DECIDES HOW THEY WANT TO PRIORITIZE, UM, WHAT YOU ALL WANT US TO LOOK AT.
AND SOME OF IT, WE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED THE COMP PLAN TO REVISE SOME OF THE ZONING IT IS.
AND SO IT COULD BE SOMETHING THROUGH GUIDANCE WHERE COUNCIL CAN SAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE CHAPTERS.
AND THEN WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, LET PC PROVIDE INPUT, HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING, AND THEN WE CAN CHANGE THEM BECAUSE SOME ARE REQUIRED IN SOME OF THE CODE CHANGE.
SO THAT'S WHY I WANT TO GET THIS OUT IN FRONT OF YOU ALL, BECAUSE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, DECEMBER, WE'LL BE HERE SOONER.
WE CAN MOVE ON STUFF, BETTER OPPORTUNITY.
WE CAN USE IT AS A TOOL WHILE WE GO THROUGH THE EDA.
AND I LIKE TO SEE US GO AHEAD AND TO GET STARTED ON THIS CHANGE.
HEY, DEAR INTERESTED IN THOSE ONE HERE, I'VE ALREADY PREPARED A MEMORANDUM AND AN INITIATING RESOLUTION FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR FUTURE MEETINGS.
SHOULD YOU WANT IT TO PURSUE THIS? I'VE ALREADY PREPARED THAT.
SO WE COULD PRESENT THAT AS THE APRIL 12TH MEETING.
YOU GUYS AGREE ANY REASON FOR WAITING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT? OKAY.
YOU CAN CLOSE THE MEETING, HUH?