REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT Two important aspects of an effective regulatory environment are predictability and speed. New or amended regulations should work to maximize predictability using clear language and foster educational efforts to guide the private sector’s understanding of the regulations. east Sunrise projects could also receive priority or expedited permit processing and other regulatory approvals. Such features are highly attractive to potential developers and investors and given the current regulatory environment in many nearby communities, this may create a competitive advantage for east Sunrise. Regulation is where a local government has the most ability to influence economic growth. Cities should look at their regulations as an incentive for development; if done effectively they will result in not only new development but improved quality of life. Recommendations discussed in more detail in the Opportunity Sites and Districts sections include: • more extensive use of form-based codes that help with both certainty and flexibility, • enhanced code enforcement education and penalty efforts, • the use of new design guidelines for a variety of features including lighting, landscaping and signage, and • the provision of regulatory and enforcement flexibility as incentives when the majority of other regulations and guidelines have been adhered to or created on a particular site.
The following link visually demonstrates how a form based code impacts different types of properties going through a redevelopment process.
VISUALIZING BETTER RULES https://vimeo.com/89351836 CONVENTIONAL ZONING Density use, FAR (floor area ratio), setbacks, parking requirements, maximum building heights specified
ZONING DESIGN GUIDELINES Conventional zoning requirements, plus frequency of openings and surface articulation specified
Note that although specific regulatory suggestions were made for the Opportunity Sites, regulatory options may vary once a form-based code is developed for east Sunrise.
The following section is from formbasedcode.org , and clearly demonstrates the benefits and intent of such as code:
A form-based code is a land development regulation that fosters predictable built results and a high-quality public realm by using physical form (rather than separation of uses) as the organizing principle for the code. A form-based code is a regulation, not a mere guideline, adopted into city, town, or county law. A form-based code offers a powerful alternative to conventional zoning regulation. Form-based codes address the relationship between building facades and the public realm, the form and mass of buildings in relation to one another, and the scale and types of streets and blocks. The regulations and standards in form-based codes are presented in both words and clearly drawn diagrams and other visuals. They are keyed to a regulating plan that designates the appropriate form and scale (and therefore, character) of development, rather than only distinctions in land-use types. This approach contrasts with conventional zoning’s focus on the micromanagement and segregation of land uses, and the control of development intensity through abstract and uncoordinated parameters (e.g., FAR, dwellings per acre, setbacks, parking ratios, traffic LOS), to the neglect of an integrated built form. Not to be confused with design guidelines or general statements of policy, form-based codes are regulatory, not advisory. They are drafted to implement a community plan. They try to achieve a community vision based on time-tested forms of urbanism. Ultimately, a form-based code is a tool; the quality of development outcomes depends on the quality and objectives of the community plan that a code implements.
FORM-BASED CODES Street and building types (or mix of types), build-to lines, number of floors, and percentage of built site frontage specified.
112 | EAST SUNRISE IMPROVEMENTS MASTER PLAN
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