Zoning Regulations
Examples and Resources
In Anne Arundel County, Maryland, any rezoning must show that the new classification conforms to the County’s General Development Plan (Comprehensive Plan) in “relation to land use, type and intensity of nonresidential buildings,” as well as “compatibility between the uses…
Town of Greenfield Zoning Bylaws,Major Development Review (1999)
In Greenfield, Massachusetts, any project that needs a Special Permit requires a site plan review “to ensure that new development…is designed in a manner which reasonably protects the visual, environmental, and aesthetic qualities of the neighborhood and the Town. Proposals of 5,000 s.f. or more…
Site Review Standards, San Jose, California
To obtain a Site Development Permit in San Jose, California, a developer’s plans must be reviewed by the planning commission or City Council after review of project design, only if all of the following six findings are made: 1) The interrelationship between the orientation, location, and elevations…
East Longmeadow Zoning By-Laws, Site Plan Review Criteria
The town of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts has a series of 10 criteria that they use to judge a site plan, including protection of abutting property values, vehicle and pedestrian safety, protecting wetlands, watersheds and acquifers, providing for open space, integrating uses into the existing landscape,…
City of Bozeman, Montana Zoning Ordinance, Site Plan Review (2000)
Bozeman divides projects into major and minor site plans. Anything over 15,000 s.f. in size is a major site plan. The purpose of site plan review is to “prevent demonstrable adverse impacts of the development upon public safety, health or welfare…to conserve the value of adjoining buildings and/or…
Local Government Control Of Commercial Development (1989)
University of Wisconsin Dept. of Urban & Regional Planning. Lists many helpful legal cases for controlling sprawl. Helpful paper to give local officials to show them the “potential range of options” available to them. Describes many ways local citizens can control commercial development. Provides…
Urban Growth Boundaries, Tennessee
A similar urban growth boundary approach has been adopted in Knoxville, Knox County, and Farragut Counties in Tennessee. Under Tennessee Public Chapter 1101, city and county governments must prepare a 20 year Growth Plan for each county, which identifies 3 types of land: 1) rural areas to be preserved…
Special Permit, Criteria For Approval, Greenfield, Massachusetts
This zoning code lists 10 criteria that a project must meet in order to get a special permit. The town must find that the project does not reduce the traffic level of service (LOS) at surrounding intersections; that is will not overload town water and sewer facilities; that it will not have a significant…
Stratham, New Hampshire (2000)
Eschewing any high-minded language about preserving the integrity of the village or the community, Stratham simply inserted in its zoning Table of Dimensional Requirements (page 30), under the category of General Commercial, the figure of 80,000 square-foot as the maximum building imprint. Subtle…
Easton, Maryland Size Cap (2000)
In September 1999, the Easton Town Council enacted a temporary moratorium on “big box” stores in response to a succession of large-scale retail proposals. Following a period of forums and public hearings, the Planning Commission concluded that the negative impacts of large stores outweigh the…
