Commission broadly backs idea of a unified design master-plan district, questions acreage and mechanics

Planning staff presented a concept for a unified design or master-plan zoning district that would consolidate several existing special districts and allow master-planned residential, commercial or mixed-use projects in identified growth areas subject to rezoning and a master plan.

The planning director described the district as "a consolidated master plan zoning tool to replace simplified existing village and planned other districts" that would require rezoning approval and allow flexibility in lot sizes, densities and uses. Commissioners asked how large a parcel would have to be to make a UDD marketable; the planning director suggested it could range from several acres up to "15, 20, 30 acre type master plan" projects and acknowledged some master plans will need much larger parcels (hundreds of acres) to be truly marketable.

Several commissioners said the concept was appealing as a more user-friendly, adaptable option than multiple overlapping special districts. Questions centered on where the district would be allowed (within designated growth-area boundaries), whether existing village growth designations would be unchanged, and how the district would be applied parcel-by-parcel versus via acreage thresholds. Staff noted that an overlay approach could be used and that the village designation would remain in place even if a UDD were applied in the growth area.

No formal zoning action was taken; commissioners asked staff to return with draft district language and mapping scenarios to show how the UDD could be used across growth areas.