HomeMy WebLinkAboutAda County Adopt Comp Plan Memo
MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM:
MAYOR AND COUNCIL
ANNA BORCHERS POWELL, AICP
PLANNING DIRECTOR
NOVEMBER 7, 2003
ADA COUNTY ADOPTION OF !\fERIDIAN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
DATE:
RE:
RUT CLUSTER SUBDIVISIONS
As I mentioned in my department report on Wednesday November 5th, I need to discuss the
concept of RUT Cluster Subdivisions with you all. I've included a brief discussion of the general
concept and intent of the RUT Cluster Subdivision and also the specific code language from the Ada
County Zoning Ordinance.
When the County was re-writing their Zoning Ordinance, they added the cluster subdivision as
an option within the Rural-Urban Transition Area. The intent was to give landholders a mechanism
to sell off a portion of their properties, while still preserving a large enough landholding to redevelop
when municipal services were available. For example, if an owner had a 20-acre property, instead of
subdividing four 5-acre lots, the owner could do four I-acre lots and preserve the remaining 16 acres
for future development within the City limits. The minimum property size for a new residence in a
Cluster Subdivision is 1.0 acre, with a maximum size of 1.25 acres. This is generally large enough to
accommodate individual well and septic systems. The houses are required to be double-plumbed for
eventual connection to municipal services.
Please Note: A variation of the cluster subdivision is to have a smaller lot size consistent with the
City's Comprehensive Plan and then provide community sewage disposal instead of individual septic
systems. Resolution 03-401 is clear in that it does not want community sewage disposal systems
within the area of city impact. In the letter that I am draftin~ for your signa lure, I will specifically
state that the City of Meridian does not support Cluster Subdivisions that incorporate community
sewage disposal systems.
The Ada County Code provides an incentive for developers in the RUT district to do cluster
subdivisions. With a straight 5-acre minimum lot size subdivision, the applicant must provide a plan
of how those 5-acre lots could be re-subdivided to "city-sized" lots (consistent with the
Comprehensive Plan.) . With a Cluster Subdivision, the applicant is not required to do a re-
subdivision plan.
I hope this gives you a basic idea of the Cluster Subdivision. I look forward to your thoughts on
whether such subdivisions are appropriate within the Area of City Impact. The exact code language
from the Ada County Zoning Ordinance follows this memo.
CITY OF MERIDIAN PLANNING AND ZONING DEPART!\fENT
660 E. WATERTOWER ROAD
!\fERIDIAN, ID 83642
8-2B-6: _ AND RSW
SUBDIVISION:
A.Purpose: This regulation allows owners of qualifying properties in the rural-
urban transition district or southwest community residential district to create a
limited number of clustered residential lots before urban services are
available. The intent is to: 1) create a means whereby farm owners may sell
off a small portion of their property before urban services are available while
still enabling agricultural production as an interim use, and 2) 11III such
residential lots on a portion of the property to facilitate redevelopment of the
remainder lot.
B.Applicability: This regulation shall apply to any property that meets the
following criteria:
1. The property is within the rural-urban transition district or southwest
community residential district;
2. The qualifying property has a minimum of two hundred fifty feet (250') of
frontage along a public street; and
3. The applicant proposes a density that does not exceed the standard in
subsections 8-2B-1A and B of this article as applicable.
C.Process:
1. Application: A preliminary plat application and fees, as set forth in chapter
7, article A of this title, shall be submitted to the director on forms provided by
the development services department.
2. Standards: The preliminary plat shall be reviewed subject to the standards
of subsection D of this section and the standards for subdivisions as set forth
in chapter 6 of this title.
3. Required Findings: In addition to the findings required for a preliminary plat,
the commission and/or board shall make the following findings:
a. The proposed subdivision shall not create undue adverse impacts to
adjacent agriculture;
b. If the qualifying property is currently used for agriculture, the proposed
subdivision shall maximize, to the extent possible, the continuation of such
use on the remainder lot; and
c. The proposed subdivision protects all gravity flow irrigation systems to
the remainder lot.
2
D.Standards:
1. The residential lots shall meet the dimensional standards for 11II lots
noted in table 8-2B-2 of this article. See also figure 7, section 8-1A-2 of this
title.
a. The minimum residential lot size for dwellings on individual sewage
disposal systems shall be 1.0 acre. The maximum residential lot size shall
be 1.25 acres.
b. Reduced property size standards may be approved when the applicant
can demonstrate the following: 1) the property size and dimensional
standards comply with the applicable comprehensive plan, and 2) a
community sewage disposal system shall serve the lots.
2. A community sewage disposal system shall serve any" subdivision
or each dwelling shall be required to plumb the house for connection to a
municipal sewer system.
3. Access and frontage for all residential lots shall be as required by section
8-4A-3 of this title.
4. The subdivision plat shall note the remainder lot as dedicated open space
until the property is annexed to a city or obtains a zoning ordinance map
amendment. Allowed dedicated open space uses shall be as specified in
subsection 8-4J-3C of this title.
5. The subdivision plat shall preserve two (2) means of future access to the
remainder lot. Such access shall be a dedicated easement or a minimum of
one hundred twenty five feet (125') of street frontage for each access point. If
the qualifying property has frontage on two (2) or more streets, at least two
(2) streets shall maintain a means of future access as noted above.
6. All proposed residential lots shall be able to provide potable water and
adequate sewage facilities as provided for in sections 8-4A-23 and 8-4A-22 of
this title respectively. (Ord. 389, 6-14-2000)
3
ADA COUNTY PLANNING AND
ZONING COMMISSION
AGENDA
November 13, 2003
6:00 PM
1 $I Floor Public Hearing Room
Ada County Courthouse and Administrative
Complex
200 W. Front Street, Boise, ID
L
CALL TO ORDER (6 PM)
ROLL CALL
RECEIVED
NOV 0 7 2003
II.
City Of Meridian
City Clerk Office
0 Steve Kehoe 0 Frank Martin
0 Lynn Moser 0 John Tomkinson
0 Chuck Story 0 Neil Boel
0 Chris Hayen
IlL OLD BUSINESS
~~,~'!~~t~~~::~~C~t~:;<: ;~;;~~'fI~::~t~~4';'::
Final Plat
Staff Recommendation: Approve
Commission Action:
(Mark Perfect)
'j.~:i@_A1iU>~~itt~_~~~:lt~~1\:C'J':> "~",."{i~',"
An ordinance amending the Ada County code title nine chapter four section three and four,
the Meridian Area of City Impact by providing for the adoption of the Meridian
Comprehensive Plan adopted by the City of Meridian on August 6, 2002, and ad amended
on April 8. 2003, and amending the requirements for city approval of subdivision plats.
Staff Recommendation: Approve
Commission Action:
(Nichoel Baird Spencer)
.....~~.-(J3"~~ct(J/~3-29-MS;JJ .N~~TJ;>~lC'4SSQ(U.1ES:i" '{
A Conditional Use Permit and Master Site Plan to allow the conversion of the existing
residence into accommodations for ambulance service and a garage added to house the
vehicles. The property contains 0.69 acres and is located at 7815 W. Victory Road, Boise,
ID: Section 25, T. 3N., R. IE.
Staff Recommendation: Approve
Commission Action:
(Mark Perfect)
IV. NEW BUSINESS
.'1-. 'Q~J$-'SC])":N;r.IDNNIA~;HDEmLoPMENTd~~OODSUR:
Final Plat
Staff Recommendation: Approve
Commission Action:
(Scott Cook)