The Codes and Zoning Enforcement Committee on an informational vote agreed to present a draft Planned Unit Development zoning ordinance and to revisit sewer requirements in an amendment next year.

The committee’s discussion focused on how a PUD would let developers submit a master plan tied to a specific parcel so the county can approve a site-specific zoning package rather than a generic rezoning that later allows denser development than neighbors expect. "A planned unit development ... will allow him to come in with his master plan of how he wants to build on his property, and it would be its own zoning," staff member Rick said during the meeting.

Why it matters: committee members said a PUD could protect neighborhoods from unexpected increases in density that accompany subsequent sales of property after a rezoning. Members cited recent local examples where property rezoned to R-3 was later developed in ways that strained access roads and infrastructure.

Discussion highlights

- Scope and purpose: The draft PUD ordinance would create a new, plan-based zoning category (PUD) that becomes the parcel’s zoning once approved; future owners could apply to rezone, but the approved PUD would limit what could be built without a new public process. Committee members repeatedly said the intent is to give the county more control over site layout and to avoid developers ‘‘backdooring’’ denser projects after an initial rezoning approval.

- Density and lot standards: The draft ties density limits to use: the handout cited 4.35 dwelling units per acre for single-family development and 12 dwelling units per acre for multifamily within PUDs. It also referenced a minimum 8,000-square-foot single-family lot and a 75-foot minimum road frontage at the building setback line for certain residential lots. "If you're doing multiple dwellings ... you're only allowed to do 12 multi units per acre," Rick said; committee members noted that 12 units per acre is comparable to existing R-3 limits and that the PUD would allow the county to see and negotiate site plans before construction.

- Buffers, setbacks and open space: The draft requires a peripheral buffer around a PUD (commonly 30 feet for residential; 40 feet for commercial mixed-use in the draft) and a minimum of 15 percent of gross acreage as open space. The committee discussed allowing existing trees and vegetation to count toward buffer and screening requirements.

- Infrastructure and sewer: Several members emphasized that approval should be contingent on infrastructure capacity. The draft includes language requiring public sanitary sewer or an alternative sewage system approved by the state or health department. Committee members debated whether commercial mixed-use PUDs should require public sewer while residential PUDs could allow approved alternative systems. The committee agreed to revisit and refine sewer-language as an amendment next year; the committee chair described the vote as approving the draft presentation "with the amendment of sewer on the next year."

- Subdivision, phasing and enforcement: The ordinance would require a preliminary master plan with rezoning, allow phased development with time limits, and require a final master plan and subdivision plat where lots are created. Committee members noted that subdivision and subdivision-approval processes and existing subdivision regulations would still apply inside a PUD. They also discussed enforcement challenges for features like outside storage and long-term compliance with the approved master plan.

Committee action and next steps

The committee took a voice vote to approve presenting the PUD ordinance draft to planning and county officials, instructing staff to prepare a sewer amendment for consideration next year. The motion passed by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded. Staff said they will work with planning staff and Mr. Kerr to refine the draft and to present the PUD as a separate ordinance so it does not derail other zoning work.

What remains open

Committee members asked staff to refine specific provisions — including minimum acreage thresholds, peripheral buffer widths, permitted uses within residential PUDs, and whether commercial mixed-use PUDs must connect to public sanitary sewer — before the draft advances to a formal public review and the planning commission.

Ending

Staff will revise the draft PUD ordinance using a local template, coordinate with planning officials, and bring the revised language back for formal review; a sewer-specific amendment was scheduled for consideration next year.