HomeMy WebLinkAboutI_DevPlan_LandIntensityGeorgetown DavELopmENz PLAN
The level and type of services provided to a given parcel of land largely
determine the potential of that land for development. The water, wastewater, and
traffic systems provided to residential land can be very different from those
provided to land slated for commercial or industrial development. The primary
purpose of the Development Plan is to provide the City with a tool to guide
the allocation of the City's resources for providing water, wastewater, and
transportation services throughout the City in order to promote and support the
appropriate development of land.. The Ends and Means of the Land Intensity
Element will guide decisions about how and where development should occur.
This Element sets the ground rules for operation of IMAGE and implementation
of the Transportation and Utilities Elements.
THE INTENSITY MAP
The basis of the Land Intensity Element is the impact analysis. This analysis
will provide information and criteria for development on the basis of performance
characteristics. Each parcel of land within the Planning Area is given an intensity
designation which describes the extent to which a given parcel of land can be
developed on the basis of its allocated capacity for water, wastewater, and
transportation services. All of these intensity designations are depicted on the
Intensity Map.
The Intensity Map (Exhibit 1) was developed by the Land Use Sub -Group of
the Century Plan Working Group in order to depict the general form, geographic
location, and character of development which should be planned for by the year
2010. It depicts the Working Group's future vision of Georgetown. The amount
of land included within the Urban and Urbanizing Areas of the Map will
accommodate the projected City population, including development within
expected high growth areas of the City, such as the area east and southeast of
MoYan, the Southwest Industrial District, and Rabbit Hill. But more importantly,
15
PLAN
Georgetown
the Map was developed to ensure that sufficient urban land would be provided in
each of the intensity levels to allow for market flexibility.
The Future Urban and Urbanizing Areas form the boundary of the future
service areas for water and wastewater service. Therefore, the Intensity Map is the
basis on which programmed water, wastewater, and transportation service
capacities have been determined. It will also guide the evaluation and approval of
development proposals. A more detailed description of how the Intensity Map was
developed can be found in the APPENDIX.
USE OF THE IMPACT ANALYSIS
The main purpose of the Land Intensity Element is to describe how the impact
analysis will be used and implemented. Currently, the use and development of
land are regulated by both the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances. The Zoning
Ordinance divides the City into specific, discrete districts in which certain types or
groups of similar land uses are permitted. It also prescribes the manner in which
buildings may be placed on the land, including such provisions as the size of the
yard, the setback from the street, and the height of buildings. In those cases when
it is necessary to divide a tract of land into two or more parts, the development of
land is regulated by the Subdivision Ordinance. The subdivision regulations
establish design standards for streets, alleys, sidewalks, lots, blocks, easements,
building lines, and other improvements.
The impact analysis represents a supplemental set of regulations to guide
development on the basis of performance characteristics, specifically the
demand for water, wastewater, and transportation services. All developments are
required to be in compliance with the Zoning Ordinance, the Subdivision
Ordinance, and the impact analysis established by the Plan.
The impact analysis assigns one of six intensity level designations to each
parcel in the City. Each of the six intensity levels have specific, allowable levels
of water, wastewater, and transportation demands assigned to them. Land
programmed as Intensity Level One has the least allowable demands assigned to it,
and may be developed in the least intensive manner. At the other end of the
spectrum, Intensity Level Six may be developed to high densities because it has
been assigned high allowable demands. The Zoning Map and the Intensity Map
are now the primary indicators of the development potential of any given parcel of
land. IMAGE makes it possible to obtain information regarding the
availability of utility services to meet the needs of the proposed land development.
16
Wo
V
FU I Uric UmwwiIi mmmm
inrensm eevEUi
APPROVED ON MARCH 13, 1990 w,Ewslry �EVe�a
WITH AMENDMENTS. THROUGH MAY 28,1998
NOTE: iNlEnsm x[V[xa
For looatlons of propertres MM a. ■ IwlErvsiry tFVeia
contlNonal intensity designation,
THIS MAP IS A GENERAL REPRESEWATION ONLY refer to Appendix Three in the ■ IN .PITYIEVELs
REFER TO PLAT RECORDS FOR A SPECIFIC PROPERTY Century Plan- Development Plan. IN NSm1.EVELII
"re,.1.,I s/ J
�j
Georgetown
EXHIBIT 2
ALLOWABLE LAND USE TO INTENSITY
CONVERSION CHART
Land Use Units in Dwelling Units/Acre or 1,000 Square Feet/Acre
LAND USE INTENSITY LEVEL LIMITING
ACTIVITY 1 2 3 4 5 b SYSTEM
Vacant/Rnml Use
Detached SF
-large Lot
- Average Let
Attached SF
Multi - Family
Manufactured Home
Lodging
Instim iorul
Church
-With Day Care
- Without day Cara
Office
- Medical
-General Office
Retail
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
0.91
2.07
NA
NA
NA
NA
1.05
2.40
3.77
NA
NA
NA
1.62
3.68
5.78
10.34
16,86
NA
0.88
1.76
4.40
12.31
20.51
38.46
1.55
3.37
5.60
NA
NA
NA
1.44
2.89
7.22
31.48
52.46
98.36
2.38
4.76
10.96
19.59
31.95
61.52
0.13 0.26 0.64 5.14 11.25 25.71
178 5.56 13.89 36.13 58.92 113.44
0.62 1.24 3.10 16.15 26.35 50.72
0.78 157 3.92 18.46 30.11 57.97
-Mixed
0.12
0.24
0.61
4.84
10.59
24.22
- Resta,.t
0.18
0.35
0.88
4.00
6.67
12.50
-Store
0.42
0.83
2.08
16.66
33.72
64.92
Employment Center
0.44
0.87
2.19
17.48
30.11
57.97
Warehouse
3.33
6.67
16.67
117.89
192.28
370.18
Mini- W.house
7.69
15.38
38.46
307.69
673.08
1538.46
Receeatica & Flaalplaiu
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Road & Railroad ROW
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Public Utility
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
= Portion
of
chart not applicable to given lead m
SF = Single Family
18
NA
Water
Water
Traffic & Water
Traffic & Wastewater
Wastewater
Traffic & Wastewater
Traffic & Water
Traffic
Traffic & Water
Traffic & Water
Traffic & Water
Traffic
Traffic & Wastewater
Traffic & Water
Traffic & Water
Traffic & Water
Traffic
NA
NA
NA
e.
G CRY OF
eorgetown
M
Both developers and the City will use the intensity designation as a tool for
short term land development planning. The developer will use it to determine the
development potential of land. In this case, the allowed development intensity will
be defined by the utility or transportation service which has the highest level of
projected demand. For example, if the development is projected to demand
enough water to put it into Intensity Level 6, it will be categorized as a Level 6
even though it generates only enough trips to be an Intensity Level 4. The
intensity level assigned to the parcel proposed for development must be greater
than or equal to the projected intensity of the development. When this is not the
case, the developer must scale back the proposed intensity, increase the amount of
land to be included in the development, or obtain a Plan Amendment to change the
intensity level assigned to the land. Exhibit 2, the Allowable Land Use To
Intensity Conversion Chart, shows the maximum amount of each land use type that
ran be accommodated by each utility system within the six intensity levels. The
allowable land use units, housing units or 1,000 square feet of space, in this
Exhibit are shown only for the system which determines (limits) intensity for that
particular land use. This Exhibit enables a developer to know the maximum
amount of units of each land use he will be permitted in any given intensity level.
The specific land use permitted will, of course, be controlled by the zoning
designation.
The APPENDIX contains an analysis of intensity levels for a number of
existing developments in Georgetown. This analysis provides an indication of the
type of development that will be allowed in each intensity level, given the
appropriate zoning. It was used by the Land Use Sub -Group to refine their
preliminary, intuitive design of the Intensity Map on the basis of actual results.
The City will use the intensity designations in a regulatory manner when
evaluating a particular development proposal. The proposed land use must first
conform to those permitted within the zoning district. If this is not the case the
development will either be turned down or a rezoning must occur. Staff will then
determine the intensity level assigned to the parcel of land under consideration.
The demands for services generated by the proposed development, estimated on the
basis of data in Exhibit 3, the Land Use Activity to Demand Conversion Chart,
cannot exceed any one of the maximum allowable system intensifies depicted in
Exhibit 4. The development must also be capable of being accommodated within
the actual available or committed capacities of the three systems, as depicted by
IMAGE. If the maximum allowable system intensity is exceeded, the City should
recommend that the proposed development be modified or a Plan Amendment
obtained. The goal of a Plan Amendment is to increase the intensity level assigned
to the parcel and thereby increase the demands allocated to it. If the proposed
development conforms to the demands allocated to it, but exceeds the actual
19
Georgetown
available or committed capacities in the system, then a variance must be obtained.
The City Council's decision to grant a variance must be accompanied by a
commitment to provide additional capacity by either the private developer or the
City. The City must adopt a utility extension policy to guide these decisions (see
the Utilities Element for a discussion of the need to adopt a utility extension
policy).
Nothing in this Plan shall be construed as superseding the requirements of the
Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances. The impact analysis will be administered in
a similar manner to that of the two existing land development ordinances, and
will be complementary to those ordinances. That is, developments which comply
with all of the utility demand /capacity requirements of the impact analysis will be
approved administratively, assuming that they also comply with the applicable
Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances. Plan Amendments and variances may both
be granted only by the City Council. The granting of either will enable the
Council to monitor the need for programming capital improvements into the
Annual Operating Plan.
Some recommended guidelines for implementation of the impact analysis for
regulatory purposes include:
a development proposed on land which has been
programmed for more than one intensity may combine the
total allowable demands of the intensities for an allowable
system intensity that equals the average;
developments may reallocate service units assigned to
acreage used for streets to acreage elsewhere in the same
development; and
when developing a mixed -use project, unused system
capacities from one land use type may be transferred to
other land use types within that same development only
(NOTE: this is not a transfer of development rights).
Long range planning is also enhanced by the impact analysis because IMAGE
monitors the incremental effect of development on the capacity available in
each system. As a particular segment of the system reaches capacity, the design
and construction of system improvements should be planned and budgeted. It is
recommended that a specific trigger point for each infrastructure system be
established as an indicator that a pre - determined level of capacity has been reached
and planning for improvements to the system should be considered.
20
G Cr1 OF
eorgetown
EXHIBIT 3
LAND USE ACTIVITY TO DEMAND
CONVERSION CHART
TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE
TRANSPORTATION WATER WASTEWATER
LAND USE Peek Trip Peak Day Flow Average Day Flow
Agriculture
0.952
1157
289
Demched SF Residential
- Large Lot
0.599
1157
289
-Average Lot
0.886
998
250
Attached SF Resideutial
1.087
650
175
Multi - Family Reaidential
2.271
528
156
Manufactured Home - Ra.
0.847
650
193
Lodging
1.386
192
61
lustitutiooal
0.841
343
92
Church
- with Day Cara
15.560
308
83
- without Day Care
0.720
186
50
Recreational
0.070
34
5
Medical Office
3.227
416
112
General Office
2.550
364
91
Retail, Mixed
16.518.
650
163
Retail, Ratamaut
11.370
1560
480
Retail, Store
4.802
325
88
Employment Center
4.576
364
91
Warehouse
0.600
57
14
(1) Units: Residential and Agriculture Uses = Dwelling. Units
Recreational Usea = Acres
AR Other Uses = 1,000 square feet
SF = Single Family
21
Georgetown D&vEwpmmw PLAID
EXHIBIT 4
ALLOWABLE SYSTEM INTENSITIES
MEASURED IN SERVICE UNITS PER ACRE
PER DAY
INTENSITY (TRANSPORTATION I Gallons TE I WA TE Gallons
LEVEL Trip Ends
2
1,050
300
4
2,400
650
10
3,760
1,080
80
6,720
1,920
175
10,960
3,200
22
G eo`rgetown
It is important to emphasize that system improvements are driven by land
development, or by the implementation of the Intensity Map. The Future Systems
Maps (see Transportation and Utilities Elements) do not describe systems which
must be operational by the year 2010. Rather, they describe the elements of a
system which should be constructed as dictated by the pace, location, and intensity
of actual development. This is especially important because the Future Systems
Maps depict systems which are designed to accommodate significantly more
development than is likely to occur. The design of each of the future systems is
exaggerated primarily by the fact that development is assumed to occur at the
maximum of each intensity level for each service on each parcel. In reality, the
average of all development is not likely to reach the maximum for any of the
services. Furthermore, when a particular development does demand the maximum
allowable service intensity for one service, it is not likely to have a similar demand
for the other two services.
The impact analysis has several advantages over traditional land use planning
which is regulated solely by zoning. As described, it acts as a tool for both short
term and long range planning. As such, it allows everyone involved in the
development review process - City Council, Planning and Zoning
Commissioners, staff, developers, and the general public - to make decisions about
new developments with more information than has been available before about . the
effect of each decision on the City's resources. This enables the City to allocate
resources - staff, funds, and equipment - for system improvements in a more
efficient and effective manner. The long range planning aspect of the impact
analysis facilitates capital improvements planning and budgeting.
DEMANDS MEASURED BY THE IMPACT ANALYSIS
The impact analysis, made operational by IMAGE, will enable the City to
closely monitor the available capacities of the water, wastewater, and transportation
systems. It also makes the evaluation of development proposals more
complete by indicating their impact on the systems. The key element of the impact
analysis is the Intensity Map. This map represents the development potential of
each parcel of land in the Planning Area and establishes the maximum limits for
design of the infrastructure systems. The Future Systems Maps depict the
infrastructure necessary to support full development of the Intensity Map. Exhibit
5 compares the existing and programmed demands, by intensity level, for the
Future Urban Area. Exhibit 5 clearly illustrates that future development is
programmed at significantly higher intensities than that which currently exists. The
result of planning for more intensive development is that the water, wastewater,
and traffic systems necessary to support that development are over - programmed.
23
Wo
l
Georgetown
System demands are over - programmed for several reasons. In order to provide
for market flexibility, the Future Urban Area, which corresponds to the future
service area for the water and wastewater utilities, includes twice as much land as
is necessary to accommodate the projected population of 43,500 by the year 2010.
This area includes over 34,000 acres of land, whereas the projection of the City's
current distribution of land uses by population yields an estimated 14,000 acres
needed by 2010.
The Policy Plan clearly directs the City to place a high priority on economic
development. The types of development that can potentially be built using the
impact analysis enable the City to attract and accommodate more intense
development than currently exists. There are currently few known developments
in Georgetown that can be classified as Intensity Level 6 (see analysis of intensity
in the APPENDIX).
In addition, the manner in which intensity is determined results in
over - programmed demands. The projected demands for a proposed development
are assumed to occur at the maximum of the allowed intensity. When total
programmed demands are computed for each intensity level, they are assumed to
occur at the maximum level allowed per acre. For example, all acreage assigned
an Intensity Level 3 is assumed to generate 10 peak hour trips per acre, 3,760 peak
gallons of water per day (GPD) per acre, and 1,080 average GPD of wastewater
per acre (see Exhibit 4). However, when development proposals are reviewed and
approved by the City, their impact on each of the infrastructure systems will be
based on their actual demands. The average demands generated by all future
developments for any of the services are not likely to reach the maximum
programmed demands calculated in Exhibit 5. Furthermore, if a particular
development does require the maximum capacity allowed for any one service, it
is unlikely that it will also require the maximum capacity for the remaining
services.
Finally, as noted in previous sections, extensions and improvements to the
infrastructure systems will not be based strictly on the Future System Maps.
Rather, they will be based on the incremental changes caused by the approval and
construction of new development projects. The City will consider these needs as
they arise and determine the appropriate level of improvements given the existing
needs, the future development potential of the service area, and the local priorities
for development by type and location. The impact analysis and IMAGE should be
viewed as a means of regulating and tracking development for the purpose of
programming capital improvements over time. They do not represent a mandate
for the development of land or the improvement of the infrastructure systems.
24
G`eo`rgetown
EXHIBIT 5
EXISTING AND PROGRAMMED DEMANDS
FOR THE FUTURE URBAN AREA
1n[ ity
Acru
P.
EXISTING DEMANDS
WATER WASTEWATER
Peek GPD Percevl Average OPD N.c
1
2,503
50.45
4,311,897
25.54
1,192,727
24.94
2
1,193
24.05
3,766,898
22.31
1,057,083
22.10
3
727
14.65
3,467,298
20.53
995,730
20.82
4
384
7.74
3,354,677
19.87
960,561
20.08
5
138
2.78
1,657,229
9.81
483,867
10.12
6
16
0.32
327,382
1.94
93,096
1.95
TOTAL
4,961
100.00
16,885,381
100.00
4,783,064
100.00
PROGRAMMED DEMANDS
WATER WASTEWATER TRAFFIC
1m..ity Acres % Peak GPD % Average GPD % Peek Trips
1
1,121
3.36
1,340,529
0.87
383,119
0.88
2,963
0.30
2
16,810
50.30
41,371,391
26.82
11,221,124
25.66
91,043
9.12
3
10,848
32.46
50,948,198
33.03
14,633,884
33.46
117,234
11.75
4
1,438
4.30
11,472,540
7.44
3,278,467
7.50
55,405
5.55
5
2,451
7.33
33,645,490
21.81
9,814,544
22.44
437,823
43.87
6
754
2.26
15,483,376
10.04
4,406,288
10.07
293,442
29.41
TOTAL
33,422
100.00
154,261,524
100.00
43,737,426
100.00
997,910
100.00
25
Geo`/ getown DEVELOPMENTPUN
SITE DESIGN CRITERIA
The Century Plan - Development Plan recommends that land development be
regulated on the basis of the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances and the intensity
designations. Development approval will be contingent on conformity to both the
use designations of the Zoning Ordinance and the utility capacity allocations of the
assigned intensity. Site design criteria will continue to be required in order to
ensure that existing land uses are protected from potential negative impacts arising
from new development, and to provide for high quality new development.
Adherence to all site design criteria contained within the Zoning and
Subdivision Ordinances will be required. These include height, setback, lot
size, landscaping, buffering, and other criteria. All developments must
submit a detailed development plan (DDP) in conformance with the
Subdivision Ordinance. This submittal and subsequent construction inspections
will ensure that the site design criteria are being met.
While the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances represent the minimum site
design criteria to be followed, this Plan also recommends that additional criteria
be developed to provide even greater protection to existing land uses. These
additional criteria would include both location and compatibility standards to ensure
that development occurs in a manner that minimizes the potential, negative impacts .
on the built and natural environment surrounding it.
The location criteria categorize all land uses according to their relative potential
impact on fixed elements of the environment, including waterways, slopes, utility
lines, and roadways. Each land use type has inherent qualities which require that
it be developed in a certain manner. For example, single family residences should
be located on local streets, in close proximity to schools and parks. Large
supermarkets, on the other hand, are more appropriately located on arterial roads
and on lots large enough to provide ample on -site parking to minimize the
negative, spill-over impacts on the surrounding area. Location criteria such as
these are designed to ensure that individual land uses are located appropriately
within the built community. In addition, because the central Texas region in which
Georgetown is located has many unique natural environmental features, other
location criteria are necessary to protect these features, including the San Gabriel
Rivers, springs and sinkholes, and the Edwards Aquifer, from the adverse effects
of development.
Compatibility criteria, on the other hand, address the relationship of one land
use type to another. For example, when a land use categorized as high
impact commercial is proposed adjacent to a low density residential use, it will
26
Geo`rrgetorw
DEVELOPMENT' PLAN
have to meet specific landscaping, buffering, and lighting requirements that would
not be applicable to two adjacent high impact commercial uses. These compatibility
criteria ensure that the benefits of flexibility to an individual's use of their land do
not impinge on the use of adjacent property.
Some examples of location and compatibility criteria that should be developed
over time include:
Location Criteria
- fire flow standards
- access by functional classification of roadway
proximity to natural environmental features
- residential proximity to park facilities
Compatibility Criteria:
- maximum height restrictions
- sign regulations
- landscaping standards
- bufferyard standards
It is further recommended that, as they are developed, these criteria should be
incorporated into the Zoning Ordinance in order to make it a more performance
oriented regulatory tool.
27