[Added 1-15-2008]
A.
Planned unit development districts are intended to
provide for variety and flexibility in design necessary to implement
the varied goals of the Town as set forth in the Comprehensive Plan.
Through a planned unit development district approach, the regulations
of this article are intended to accomplish the purposes of zoning
and other applicable regulations to the same extent as regulations
of conventional districts. Additionally, planned unit development
districts are intended to implement the specific goals enunciated
by the Comprehensive Plan.
B.
It is intended that planned unit development districts
be established along major corridors and in growth areas as designated
in the Comprehensive Plan. Planned district master plans should demonstrate
a unified development with an interconnected system of internal roads,
sidewalks, and paths as well as manage access points along existing
roads in order to maximize safety and the efficiency of existing roads.
Pavement widths of internal and external roads shall minimize paving
requirements as described in the Comprehensive Plan while accommodating
projected traffic generated from the district. Planned developments
allow for a higher density of development for a more efficient use
of the designated growth areas, and to more effectively preserve the
remaining open spaces within the Town boundaries. Other benefits of
a planned development include less infrastructure costs, more efficient
provision of public safety services, less environmental impact, and
through the provision of affordable housing, achieve significant economic
and social integration.
A.
The applicant shall file an application for rezoning
with the Town of Louisa Zoning Administrator. The application shall
consist of three primary sections: a narrative, an existing conditions
map, and a master plan.
(1)
Narrative.
(a)
A general statement of objectives to be achieved
by the planned district, including a description of the character
of the proposed development and the market for which the development
is oriented;
(b)
A list of all adjacent property owners;
(c)
Site development standards, including, but not
limited to, density, setbacks, maximum heights, and lot coverage;
(d)
Utilities requirement and implementation plan;
(e)
Phased implementation plan;
(f)
Comprehensive sign plan;
(g)
Statements pertaining to any architectural and
community design guidelines shall be submitted in sufficient detail
to provide information on building designs, orientations, styles,
lighting plans, etc.
(3)
Master plan. The preliminary master plan shall be
of sufficient clarity and scale to accurately identify the location,
nature, and character of the proposed planned unit development district.
At a minimum, the preliminary master plan shall include the following:
(a)
Proposed layout of the Planned Unit Development
District, including the general location of uses, types of uses, and
density range of uses;
(b)
Methods of access from existing state-maintained
roads to proposed areas of development;
(c)
General road alignments;
(d)
General alignments of sidewalks, bicycle and
pedestrian facilities;
(e)
A general water layout plan indicating the intended
size and location of primary lines and the general location of fire
hydrants (e.g., one every two blocks, etc.);
(f)
A general sanitary sewer layout indicating the
size and location of primary lines, and the location of pump stations;
and
(g)
A general plan showing the location and acreage
of the active and passive recreation spaces, parks and other public
open areas.
B.
Additionally, an environmental impact study and a
traffic study are also required to be submitted as part of the application
package.
C.
The Town Attorney shall review any property owner's
or other association's charter and regulations prior to final site
plan approval.
D.
The Planning Commission shall review the preliminary
master plan for the proposed Planned Unit Development District in
light of the goals enumerated in the Comprehensive Plan, consider
it at a scheduled public hearing, and forward its recommendation along
with the preliminary master plan to the Town Council for consideration.
The Town Council shall hold a public hearing thereon, pursuant to
public notice as required by the Code of Virginia, § 15.2-2204,
after which the Town Council may make appropriate changes or corrections
in the ordinance or proposed amendment. However, no land may be zoned
to a more intensive use classification than was contained in the public
notice without an additional public hearing after notice required
by the Code of Virginia, § 15.2-2204. Such ordinances shall
be enacted in the same manner as all other ordinances. The plan approved
by the Town Council shall constitute the final master plan for the
Planned Unit Development District.
E.
Upon Town Council approval, the final master plan,
and all accepted conditions and elements of the plan, shall be binding
upon the applicant, the owner, where the owner is different than the
applicant, and the real property which is subject to the final master
plan, and shall be thereafter enforceable by the Zoning Administrator.
F.
The Zoning Administrator shall approve or disapprove
a final site development plan within 60 days from the receipt of such
plan. The plan shall be in substantial conformance with the approved
final master plan. Such final site development plan may include one
or more sections of the overall Planned Unit Development District,
and shall meet all applicable federal, state, and county regulations
and shall contain specific details of information required generally
in the preliminary plan.
A.
The goal of a Planned Unit Development District is
to encourage a development form and character that is different from
conventional suburban development by providing the following characteristics:
(1)
Pedestrian orientation;
(2)
Neighborhood-friendly streets and paths;
(3)
Interconnected streets and transportation networks;
(4)
Parks and open space as amenities;
(5)
Neighborhood centers;
(6)
Buildings and spaces of appropriate scale;
(7)
Relegated parking;
(8)
Mixture of uses and use types;
(9)
Mixture of housing types and affordability;
(10)
Environmentally sensitive design; and
(11)
Clear boundaries with any surrounding rural
areas.
B.
An application is not necessarily required to possess
every characteristic of the Planned Unit Development District in order
to be approved. The size of the proposed district, its integration
with surrounding districts, or other similar factors may prevent the
application from possessing every characteristic.
All uses permitted by right in the Residential
Limited, Residential General, Light Commercial and General Commercial
Districts shall be permitted by right uses in the Planned Unit Development
District. In the event that the applicant shall seek approval of uses
specifically enumerated in the final master plan, and which are not
currently set forth as permitted by right uses in the hereinabove
described districts, the application for rezoning shall contain a
request for amendment of this section to add said requested uses as
additional permitted uses for the Planned Unit Development District
for which approval is being sought, and which request shall be subject
to approval by the Town Council.
One or more uses permitted by conditional (special)
use permit in any zoning district may be permitted in the Planned
Unit Development District, if documented in the master plan and with
application for special use permit by the applicant and which shall
require approval thereof by the Town Council.
A variety of housing types and nonresidential
uses is strongly encouraged. The mixture of uses shall be based upon
the uses recommended in the Comprehensive Plan. This mixture may be
obtained with different uses in different buildings or a mixture of
uses within the same building.
Given the unique boundaries of the Town, the
minimum area required for the establishment of a Planned Use Development
District shall be seven acres or more. Additional area may be added
to an established Planned Unit Development District if it adjoins
and forms a logical addition to the approved development. The procedure
for the addition of land to the Planned Unit Development District
shall be the same as if an original application was filed and all
requirements shall apply except the minimum lot area requirement as
set forth above.
Open space promotes attractive and unique developments
that are also environmentally conscious. Planned unit developments
shall include the following:
A.
Not less than 30% of total acreage shall be open space,
whether dedicated to public use or retained privately.
B.
A minimum usable area of 5% of the total area within
the planned unit development shall be provided for active or passive
recreational activities, which can include, but need not be limited
to parks, dedicated walking trails, tot lots and the like.
C.
Open space shall be dedicated in a logical relationship
to the site and in accordance with any guidance from the Comprehensive
Plan regarding open space.
D.
Improvements shall be configured to accommodate permitted,
accessory and conditional uses in an orderly relationship with one
another, with the greatest amount of open area and with the least
disturbance to natural features.
[Amended 5-18-2010]
The gross and net residential densities shall
be shown on the approved final master plan by area and for the development
as a whole in dwelling units per acre, and shall be binding upon its
approval. The overall gross density so approved shall be determined
by the Town Council with reference to the Comprehensive Plan, but
shall not exceed 15 dwelling units per acre. Nonresidential density
should be expressed in terms of total square footage by area and for
the development as a whole. There is no maximum square footage for
nonresidential uses but the proposed uses should be in proportion
to the overall intent and functionality of the planned district concept.
A.
Within the Planned Unit Development District, minimum
setback ranges shall be specifically established during the review
and approval of the concept plan. Specific setbacks may be approved
administratively in the site plan process if they are in conformance
with the established ranges or a rezoning will be required. The following
guidelines shall be used in establishing the building spacing and
setbacks:
(1)
Areas between buildings used as service yards, storage
of trash, or other utility purposes should be designed so as to be
compatible with adjoining buildings;
(2)
Building spacing and design shall incorporate privacy
for outdoor activity areas (patios, decks, etc.) associated with individual
dwelling units whenever feasible; and
(3)
Yards located at the perimeter of the Planned Unit
Development District shall conform to the setback requirements of
the adjoining district, or to the setback requirements of the planned
district, whichever is greater.
B.
In no case shall setbacks interfere with public safety
issues such as sight lines and utilities, including other public infrastructure
such as sidewalks, open space, etc.
Within the Planned Unit Development District,
the applicant shall establish parking regulations for consideration
by the Town Council. The proposed regulations should be based on a
parking needs study or equivalent data. Such regulations shall reflect
the intent of the Comprehensive Plan to decrease impervious cover
by reducing parking requirements, considering alternative transportation
modes and using pervious surfaces for spillover parking areas. Shared
parking areas, especially with nonresidential uses, is encouraged.
All new utility lines, electric, telephone,
cable television lines, etc., shall be placed underground.
Where sections of this chapter or Chapter 143, Subdivision of Land, are deemed to be in conflict with the goals of the final master plan, the rezoning application shall be considered a waiver or modification to these sections if specified in the final master plan. Otherwise, the applicant must provide a clear explanation as to why certain regulations are in conflict with the final master plan, demonstrate that the public's health, safety and welfare will not be compromised, and request the specific waivers or modifications to be considered by the Town Council after a public hearing.
