Chapter 20 (Planning and Zoning) Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Chapter 20 (Planning and Zoning) Deck (42)
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1
Q

Introduction

A

In a residential community located in a fashionable area, homes are meticulously landscaped with rose bushes and beautiful fountains.

It is a neighborhood of executives and their families.

Across the street from one of the fashionable homes is a small candy factory, and farther down the street is a soft-drink bottling company.

This is just one example of what happens when community planning and land-use control are absent.

2
Q

History of Planning and Zoning

A

Planning and land-use control have been practiced in this country to varying degrees since the first European settlers arrived. During the colonial period, the British colonies enacted ordinances restricting slaughterhouses and gunpowder mills to the outskirts of the community. Later in the 1800s, cities established fire districts and building height restrictions.

Industrialization brought a decreased interest in planning and land use regulations. The philosophy of laissez-faire (French for “let alone”) prevailed among business and political leaders.

*Laissez-faire, a philosophy of noninterference by the government in private business affairs, advocated letting the owners of land and business fix the rules of competition.

Planning and growth management were largely ignored. Property owners used their land to produce the greatest private gain without regard to the impact on the community. As industrialization expanded, people left the farms for city jobs. Unorganized growth resulted.

In 1916, the first serious efforts were made to create and enforce zoning ordinances. The garment industry in New York City was about to expand into the exclusive Fifth Avenue district.

A zoning ordinance was enacted to protect Fifth Avenue property values by prohibiting all but specified property uses in that district. Other cities began to adopt zoning ordinances to create or protect local property values.

Many property owners objected to the introduction of zoning laws. Most of the objections were raised because of zoning ordinances that prohibited owners from using their land to generate profit or income without compensating them for the rights lost. In 1926, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that legally enacted zoning laws were constitutional.

This ruling gave powers of enforcement to municipalities that had enacted zoning laws for the purpose of regulating future growth.

These controls gave rise to city planning and growth management all across the nation.

3
Q

Planning Goals

A

As part of the growth management process, city planning attempts to regulate city growth as required to achieve four basic goals:

  • To plan future land uses that allow the highest and best use of the maximum number of properties
  • To reduce the possibility that a particular type of land use may cause loss of value to neighboring properties
  • To reduce present and future growth costs that must be borne by taxpayers
  • To create an optimal social and economic environment as a result of community growth
4
Q

Local Planning Agency

A

Florida counties and municipalities are required to maintain a comprehensive (master) plan.

Comprehensive plans include such elements as capital improvements, future land use, transportation, sanitary sewer, solid waste, and so forth.

The concurrency provision in Florida’s growth policy act requires on a state-wide basis that the infrastructure for sanitary sewers, potable (drinking) water, and waste treatment facilities be in place before new development is allowed.

Many communities have experienced complete curtailment of new construction because of a building moratorium until a new sewage treatment plant, for example, was completed.

5
Q

Comprehensive (Master) Plan

A

Plans for the future physical development of a city, county, or region.

6
Q

Concurrency

A

The provision in Florida’s Growth Policy Act that requires water and waste treatment facilities needed to support additional population be in place before new development is allowed.

7
Q

Composition

A

Planning commissions are most effective when composed of members who represent all walks of life.

Members most often are not trained professional planners.

The overriding goal is to have representatives from a cross section of interests.

A planning commission composed entirely of developers, for example, could not possibly speak for all the people.

The homes, desires, and goals of all residents should be considered.

  • Members of the planning commission are usually appointed (not elected) and serve in a voluntary, unpaid capacity.
  • The primary legislative body of the city or the county is the appointing authority, normally a city council or a county commission.

Planning commissions vary in size, and the terms for which planning commissioners are appointed may vary from the terms of their colleagues.

This ensures a staggered rate of replacement and is designed to prevent any one appointing authority from selecting an entire planning commission.

*Planning commissioners are usually appointed for terms longer than the term of the appointing authority to reduce the commissioners’ obligation to any single political body.

This minimizes political influence within the planning body.

The planning commission or board serves as an advisory body to the elected city or county government.

As important as the planning function may be to the future welfare of a community, the commission is not the final authority in matters related to planning.

*The commission is responsible for planning, just as the police department is responsible for law enforcement, but the elected government must make the final decisions based on recommendations from subordinate agencies.

8
Q

Authority

A

Three areas of responsibility for which city planning commissions are commonly delegated final authority are:

(1) subdivision plat approval,
(2) site plan approval, and
(3) sign control.

  1. Subdivision Plat Approval.

A developer planning to create a subdivision must submit a sub-division plat to the planning commission for approval.

A developer is not issued a building permit until final approval is granted by the planning commission.

When approval is received, the developer may proceed to record the plat in the public records and receive a building permit.

  1. Site Plan Approval.

The site plan serves the same function that a subdivision plat serves for a subdivision.

It is a detailed plan of how the project is to be developed, how traffic and parking will be dealt with, and what impact on neighboring properties may be expected.

This is an area in which the expertise of the planning commission’s support staff can be of great assistance.

Reviewing and checking site plan proposals requires painstaking attention to detail and a well-rounded background of information.

This ensures compliance with all physical, economic, and environmental requirements.

  1. Sign Control.

More and more cities are exercising control over signs.

The primary aims of sign control are to minimize distraction to motorists and to eliminate actual safety hazards created by signs at blind corners, lighted signs that glare into the eyes of drivers at night, and the like.

Any aesthetic improvement resulting from sign control is a welcomed by-product.

9
Q

Support Staff

A

While appointed members of the commission may be experts in their own fields, they often are not urban planning experts.

The planning commission’s function is to make policy recommendations regarding the type of city it feels that citizens want in the future.

It sets goals and provides residents with a number of feasible alternative plans for achieving those goals.

*The job of collecting, sorting, analyzing, and reporting is handled by the staff of the planning commission.

The planning commission support staff is composed of full-time city or county employees.

Staff members are normally college- or university-trained planners.

They have learned how to evaluate the economic base of a city.

They know the most productive sources of information regarding population, proper land uses, and support requirements for future growth. The planning support staff collects and refines the raw data to produce the basic studies needed to develop a flexible, comprehensive plan for future growth.

10
Q

Basic Background Studies

A

Before the goals, objectives, and policies can be finalized, the planning commission and its support staff must have a good idea of what has happened in the past, what the present situation is, and what projections indicate for the future.

Six types of background studies are used by planners (see below):

  1. Population background studies
  2. Area economic base studies
  3. Existing land-use studies
  4. Physiographic studies
  5. Recreation and community facilities studies
  6. Thoroughfare studies
11
Q

Population Background Studies

A

The population and its geographic distribution are the basic determinants of comprehensive planning.

Population studies are the most basic and important of all planning studies.

These studies identify the following:

  1. The composition of the population;
  2. The number of households and their approximate incomes; and
  3. The numbers and locations of different ethnic groups, occupations of residents, and educational levels.

With this demographic information, predictions can be made for the future.

*In Florida, predictions normally are limited to periods of 5 to 10 years into the future.

In states where growth is slow, the planning predictions may be projected for 15 to 20 years into the future.

*Population studies give planners an indication of the number of new households expected to move into an area.

This information is of great assistance in estimating the cost of social services for a larger, and in some cases older, population.

Planners can alert cities and counties to the number of additional police officers, firefighters, teachers, medical facilities, and the like that will be required to handle the new residents.

12
Q

Economic Base Studies

A
  • Economic base studies analyze the effect of base-industry employment in the area.
  • Base industries are those industries that attract outside money to the area, such as film making, fertilizer plants, and the citrus industry.
  • Service industries are those such as grocery stores, barber shops, and retail stores, whose customers are primarily local residents.

These industries keep money already in the area circulating but attract little outside money to the area. These studies also will reveal whether an area is principally tourist-oriented, industrial, commercial, educational, or agricultural in character.

Perhaps the area can boast of several economic activities.

The more diversified the economic base, the more stable the area economy tends to be.

This contributes to growth and stable property values.

13
Q

Existing Land-Use Studies

A

To plan for future land use, the planning commission takes an inventory of all public and private land uses.

The commission does a complete survey of land uses, with detailed maps plotting each separate land parcel.

Individual lots and tracts can be identified on land-use maps with colors or codes to indicate the present use of the land.

Once completed, existing land-use patterns dictate, to a great degree, the location of future land uses.

Generally, professional planners use five basic land-use categories:

(1) residential,
(2) commercial,
(3) industrial,
(4) agricultural, and
(5) special use. Basic land-use classifications are divided further into subcategories.

For example, a county might use:

residential: single-family, one-family to four-family, multifamily;
commercial: neighborhood shopping, community business, professional offices, shopping center, central business district;
industrial: component assembly, light manufacturing, heavy industry, warehousing; and
special use: public schools, churches, recreational areas (community parks and national parks).

Unfortunately, there is no uniform standard of land-use classification that applies to all parts of the state. Each planning commission or zoning authority may establish any system desired to prevent encroachment of incompatible uses.

Once the land-use studies are complete and all the current uses of individual parcels are accounted for, it is a relatively simple matter to determine the number of acres being used for each classification.

This information can then be coordinated with results of the population studies to develop a preliminary land-use plan for the future.

14
Q

Physiographic Studies

A

Physiographic studies help avoid unexpected problems with soil conditions: drainage, soil percolation, and load-bearing capacity.

They describe the physical structure of the land.

All the various soil types are cataloged and then plotted on a map.

Each soil type is coded to indicate recommended usage. For example, some soil types require floating foundations or special pilings.

Areas where these types of soil conditions are found are not suitable for high-rise buildings.

Some soils do not drain well, necessitating special storm drainage systems.

Physiographic studies with accompanying maps are a factor in determining the highest and best use of specific tracts of land.

15
Q

Recreation and Community Facilities Studies

A

These studies, which should be coordinated with the population studies, plan for public and private recreation areas.

Parks, playgrounds, beaches, and municipal facilities are identified and plotted on a map.

A relationship then can be established to indicate the population number and type to be served.

When the existing community facilities are located and plotted, plans can be made for the location of appropriate similar facilities in those areas marked for future growth.

Projections can be made for the number and location of additional parks, playgrounds, and community recreational facilities needed to serve the planned residential areas.

16
Q

Thoroughfare Studies

A

*Thoroughfare studies are designed to identify existing and projected traffic circulation systems.

They are closely related to population and economic studies. Federal and state laws require that cities of 50,000 people or more do urban area thoroughfare studies to reflect present and future transportation networks.

Because cities of that size have an effective market area much larger than that contained within the city limits, these studies must include the surrounding urban areas, which are considered part of the metropolitan market area.

*Thoroughfare studies are normally a joint venture involving city, county, and state transportation departments and regional planning commissions.

Such studies must anticipate requirements for ingress and egress and traffic flow to future residential and commercial areas that may be still in the planning stage.

They also must anticipate increased amounts of roadway and pedestrian traffic generated by new residents.

In addition, they must consider the transportation requirements of neighboring cities and counties.

Because most counties share transportation problems with their neighbors, they share the need for joint planning efforts.

17
Q

Goals Formulation

A

When the background studies are completed, the planning support staff will have provided the planning commission with the information needed to enter the next phase of city planning: formulating goals.

Before the data from the background studies are converted into a single comprehensive plan for growth management, the planning commission attempts to find out what type of city the residents want.

Some cities mail each resident a questionnaire, some use inserts in local newspapers, some hold public hearings, and some have members of the planning commission make presentations to social and civic clubs.

*The main purpose of this phase of city planning is to identify broad planning objectives that the community residents want to achieve.

Time and time again, experience has demonstrated that the desires of the population must be considered if a comprehensive plan is to be effective.

This is one of the reasons a planning commission should include representatives from occupations not related to real estate or development.

18
Q

Zoning Laws and Code Enforcement

A

Zoning ordinances are enacted to ensure that property owners adhere to the planned types of land uses and to protect the integrity of the comprehensive plan. No other land-use controls affect all properties in a community to a greater degree than zoning ordinances.

  • Used in conjunction with building codes, they are effective in protecting property values.
  • Zoning ordinances are local laws that implement the comprehensive plan. Local government exercises police power by regulating and controlling the use of land and structures within designated land-use districts or zones.

Each zone is assigned a specific land-use classification.

Unless an exception is granted, only the assigned land use is allowed in a particular zone to protect against uses that might reduce the value of neighboring properties.

Zoning ordinances regulate the following:

Permissible uses for each parcel of land
Lot size
Type of structures
Building heights
Setback requirements (the space between lot lines and building lines)
Density (the ratio of land area to structure area also called floor area ratio—determined by dividing the total floor area of a building by the total land area of the site)
Building codes protect the public health and safety from inferior construction practices.

Building codes set minimum standards for materials and quality of workmanship, sanitary equipment, electrical wiring, fire prevention, and so forth.

Florida has a statewide building code called the Florida Building Code.

Additionally, cities and counties may enforce more (but not less) stringent building code requirements.

*Local government enforces building codes.

The process begins by issuing a building permit after review of the architectural and engineering drawings.

Municipal inspectors visit each job site and conduct building inspections at various phases of the construction.

The inspections must pass before the next phase of construction can proceed.

A final certificate of occupancy is issued once construction is completed and the municipal building inspector agrees that the structure conforms to code.

Health ordinances control maintenance and sanitation of public spaces.

The local health department inspects and enforces sanitary standards in a community’s food and drinking establishments.

19
Q

Zoning Ordinances

A

The segmentation (dividing) of a community into districts or zones in keeping with the character of the land and structures and with their suitability for particular uses to protect the property owners from undesirable land uses on neighboring property.

20
Q

Building Codes

A

Designed to protect the public health and safety from inferior construction practices.

21
Q

Certificate of Occupancy

A

An occupancy permit issued by the local government after construction is completed and the final inspection is approved.

22
Q

Health Ordinances

A

Rules which regulate the maintenance and sanitation of public spaces.

23
Q

Residential

A

Residential zoning regulates density, meaning the number of units (homes) per acre. Several subcategories establish different minimum sizes for lots.

For example, imagine that residential zone R-1A requires that all lots in that subcategory contain at least 9,000 square feet of land.

This automatically restricts the number of lots a developer can create from each acre in a subdivision.

*Every acre of land contains 43,560 square feet.

A given developer is going to develop 100 acres.

In the process of turning raw land into a subdivision, between 20% and 25% of the land is commonly used for streets and open space.

Wider streets and open green space add quality but reduce the amount of land available for lots.

Using 25% loss for streets, the developer can determine the number of lots per acre (density) permitted by the R-1A zoning.
43,560 square feet per acre × .75 land available for lots = 32,670 square feet available per acre
32,670 ÷ 9,000 minimum square feet per lot = 3.63 lots per acre (density)
3.63 × 100 acres = 363 total subdivision lots

In the same county, residential zoning subcategory R-1AA may require one-acre lots, and R-1B may require only a minimum of 8,000 square feet per lot.

Zoning authorities may create as many zoning subcategories as needed.

They also fix the criteria for each subcategory.

24
Q

Density

A

The number of homes or lots per acre.

25
Q

Intensity

A

The concentration of pedestrian traffic and vehicular traffic used as a means of designating land for commercial zones.

26
Q

Buffer Zone

A

A strip of land separating one land use from another (for example, a landscaped park can be used to screen a residential area from nonresidential areas).

27
Q

Commercial

A

*The purpose of commercial zoning is to regulate intensity of use.

Intensity is determined by the type and amount of pedestrian and vehicular traffic generated by a commercial enterprise.

Businesses that generate a great deal of traffic, such as service stations, are normally less desirable next to quiet residential areas.

In contrast, a physician’s office or an attorney’s office does not create the same degree of threat to residential values.

Zoning ordinances normally recognize these conditions by creating a buffer zone between residential and commercial zones.

A buffer zone is a strip of land separating one land use from another.

Frequently, the buffer zone will allow multifamily zoning (for example, apartments) next to single-family residential areas, then a professional business zone, and then higher intensity zones.

28
Q

Industrial

A

*Industrial zoning also is intended to regulate intensity of use.

In addition, industrial zoning subcategories are used to control the amount and location of industrial offshoots resulting from different kinds of industrial activity.

A wide industrial-base city may have many subcategories of industrial zoning, whereas a city oriented toward agriculture, tourism, or education may have only one or two industrial subcategories.

One innovation in industrial zoning has been industrial subdivisions, or industrial parks.

29
Q

Agricultural

A

(1) The agricultural zoning classification is an all-inclusive category; it is not divided into subcategories.

If the existing use of the property is for some type of agriculture, no zoning controls will attempt to regulate the type of agriculture permitted.

If the use fails to qualify for an agricultural classification, the property then can be rezoned into another zoning category.

(2) The agricultural zoning classification is an all-inclusive category; it is not divided into subcategories. If the existing use of the property is for some type of agriculture, no zoning controls will attempt to regulate the type of agriculture permitted. If the use fails to qualify for an agricultural classification, the property then can be rezoned into another zoning category.

30
Q

Special Use

A

Although the county property appraiser may be interested in knowing exactly what level of government owns what property, most zoning authorities consider all property owned by all levels of government as a type of special-use property.

Public zoning is a subcategory of special-use zoning, which includes, for example, city parks, county courthouses, and federal post office buildings.

This zoning category is exempt from local zoning regulation.

31
Q

Zoning Board of Adjustment (1 of 4)

A

Owners of real estate may appeal enforcement of zoning restrictions in cases where strict compliance would cause undue hardship or reduce property values.

To handle appeals and requests for relief, most zoning authorities have established a semijudicial body called the zoning board of adjustment, or simply board of adjustment.

*The primary function of the zoning board of adjustment is to provide property owners some degree of relief from otherwise rigid zoning codes.

The board must take all possible precautions to render objective, unbiased decisions because its quasi-judicial powers give it some of the characteristics of a court.

Once the zoning board of adjustment renders a decision, most zoning laws will allow a property owner only one additional avenue of appeal, litigation in the courts.

32
Q

Variances

A

*A variance allows a property owner to vary from strict compliance with all or part of a zoning code because to comply would force an undue hardship on the property owner.

Two conditions must be met before a property owner may be granted a variance from existing zoning requirements:

  1. The property owner must show that a hardship exists or will be created by strict compliance with zoning requirements and that the owner did nothing to cause the hardship.

This will prevent a property owner or developer from taking some action designed for private benefit with the expectation that the zoning board of adjustment will accept or approve the situation the property owner or developer created.

  1. The zoning board of adjustment must use the same established criteria to judge the validity of all requests for a variance.

This ensures fair and impartial treatment for each property owner requesting a variance.

Many people have trouble with the word hardship.

It has nothing to do with economic or personal hardships.

It involves land use, and the hardship must relate to the use of the property.

For example, suppose you bought a nice lot on a river where zoning restrictions require “setback” distances of 25 feet from the front of the lot and 30 feet from the river or rear of the lot. Imagine you are about to start construction of a new house designed to fit precisely the above setback requirements when a survey reveals that erosion by the river over time has carried away 10 feet from the river side of your lot.

The maximum setback distance possible is now only 20 feet.

Because zoning restrictions require 30 feet, you will be in violation if you go ahead with construction.

Violation of zoning laws can cause removal of the offending structure.

To prevent potential trouble, you request a variance. The hardship exists, and you did nothing to cause the hardship.

You would have met the hardship requirement for a variance (the first condition in the preceding list).

33
Q

Special Exceptions

A

*The permission to build or to use property in apparent conflict with existing zoning ordinances.

The zoning board of adjustment is authorized to issue special exceptions for controlling the location of particular land uses.

A dentist’s office might be granted a special exception in an area located near a large mobile home community.

Another example is an adult day care facility in a residential area composed primarily of retirees.

A special exception grants a specific use of a particular parcel.

Special exceptions are a departure from the zoning ordinance, generally permitted in cases where it is determined that the surrounding area would be better served by allowing the special exception.

Most communities require public hearings before a special exception is granted so that property owners of surrounding parcels have an opportunity to provide input in the decision process.

34
Q

Legally Nonconforming Uses

A

*The continuation of land use that is not in compliance with a newly enacted zoning ordinance.

If a property’s use was lawfully established but no longer conforms to the use regulations of the zone in which it is located because of the enactment of a new zoning ordinance, the use is allowed to continue as a nonconforming use.

For example, a small neighborhood gas station might have located in an area that was later zoned residential. The small gas station within the new residential zone is grandfathered as a nonconforming use.

The U.S. Constitution prohibits depriving a person of property without due process or fair compensation.

Local governments may not employ eminent domain powers to correct nonconforming uses unless the property is taken for a public use.

The methods used to correct a nonconforming use vary around the state.

Most zoning authorities allow a time period long enough for nonconforming property owners to recapture their investment in the property.

After the expiration of this designated period, the property owner must convert the use of the property to that use for which the area is zoned.

If, during the designated period, the structure on the property is damaged or more than 50% destroyed, the property must be converted to a use that conforms with area zoning.

Other communities allow a legal nonconforming use to continue until ownership changes.

Nonconforming-use properties usually are not permitted to be increased in size or to undergo structural changes. Most zoning authorities restrict repairs and maintenance of such properties to those needed for sanitation and safety purposes.

These procedures are designed to result in all properties eventually becoming

35
Q

Developments of Regional Impact (DRI)

A

*Any development that because of its character, magnitude, or location could have a substantial effect on the health, safety, and welfare of citizens of more than one county.

As the state grows, planning assumes an ever-increasing importance and responsibility. Regional planning groups are becoming more instrumental in controlling growth.

In fact, no planned development of sufficient size to affect surrounding areas can be approved without regional planning approval.

Developments of regional impact (DRIs) have become the subject of a separate statute in Florida to ensure better control of the environment, today and in the future.

Florida statute defines developments of regional impact (DRI) as any development that, because of its character, size, or location, will have a substantial effect on the health, safety, or welfare of citizens of more than one county in the state.

Statewide guidelines and standards, along with numerical “thresholds” (limits), are used to determine whether particular developments must undergo DRI review.

DRIs include projects such as shopping centers and malls, and attraction and sports facilities.

36
Q

Planned Unit Development (PUD)

A

*A self-contained development planned under special zoning ordinances that allow maximum use of open space by reducing lot sizes and street sizes.

The developer clusters residential units on smaller lots to create maximum open spaces.

The open spaces are typically developed into parks and recreation areas.

The dwelling lots and structures are individually owned.

A nonprofit community association is organized to provide for maintenance of the common areas.

37
Q

Clustered Homes

A

Clustering homes together on smaller lots allows for large open green spaces.

Clustering results in the same overall density as in a conventional development; however, the clustered improvements result in more open common areas.

38
Q

Mixed Land Use

A

A variety of types of housing may include single-family detached homes in addition to, for example, town houses and garden apartments.

Some PUDs incorporate shopping, restaurants, and entertainment facilities into the development to create a sense of community.

For this reason, PUDs are also called multiple-use zoning.

39
Q

Planned Open Spaces

A

The open space resulting from clustering dwelling units is often developed into recreational areas that are maintained by a community association.

Zero lot line is a term used to describe the positioning of a structure on a lot so that one side rests directly on the lot’s boundary line (no side setback requirement).

Zero lot line homes are sometimes marketed as garden homes or patio homes.

Such homes may feature large patios for entertaining or neighbor-friendly front porches.

40
Q

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

A

When a large project is proposed, an environmental impact study is conducted to analyze the long-term impact the project will have on the quality of the surrounding environment.

The study must estimate the impact on waste-disposal systems, air quality, traffic, local employment, and so forth.

An environmental impact statement (EIS) summarizes, into a single document, the long-term effect the proposed project will have on the surrounding environment.

The EIS provides local government agencies and the public with important information regarding the environmental impact that can be expected from proposed development.

41
Q

Federal Flood Insurance Program

A

Congress created the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to help provide property owners with coverage against losses due to flooding.

The NFIP offers flood insurance to homeowners, renters, and business owners if their community participates in the NFIP.

Participating communities agree to adopt and enforce ordinances that meet or exceed FEMA requirements to reduce the risk of flooding.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administers the flood program.

Through this Flood Hazard Mapping Program, FEMA prepares Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for every city and county in the U.S.

Flood insurance can be purchased for any property located in a community participating in the NFIP. Land located in a 100-year floodplain is called a special flood hazard area (SFHA).

Structures located in an SFHA that are financed with mortgage loans from federally regulated or insured lenders are required to have flood insurance (flood map zones A and V).

SFHAs have a 1% or greater chance of flooding in any given year, which is equivalent to a 26% chance of flooding during a 30-year mortgage.

Recent changes have been made to funding of the NFIP. These changes may result in substantial increases in the flood insurance premiums a new owner will be required to pay.

Licensees should advise buyers to research the cost of flood insurance premiums for a property located in a SFHA.

42
Q

Summary of Important Points

A

City planning commissions are delegated final authority for subdivision plat approval, site plan approval, and sign control.

Basic background studies include population background studies, economic base studies, existing land-use studies, physiographic studies, recreation and community facilities studies, and thoroughfare studies.

Economic base studies analyze the effect of base-industry employment in the area.

Base industries are those industries that attract outside money to the area.

Service industries are those establishments whose customers are primarily local residents.

Zoning ordinances authorize the segmentation (dividing) of a community into districts or zones in keeping with the character of the land and structures and their suitability for particular uses to protect against uses that might reduce the value of neighboring properties.

Building codes protect the public health and safety from inferior construction practices.

The Florida Building Code is a statewide building code.

Residential zoning regulates density, meaning the number of homes per acre.

Commercial zoning regulates intensity of use, such as vehicular traffic generated by a commercial enterprise.

A buffer zone is a strip of land separating one land use from another.

The zoning board of adjustment handles appeals and requests from property owners for zoning changes.

Variances allow property owners to vary from strict compliance with all or part of a zoning code because to comply would force an undue hardship on the property owner.

Special exception is permission to build or to use property in apparent conflict with existing zoning ordinances.

Nonconforming use is continuing land use that is not in compliance with a newly enacted zoning ordinance.

A planned unit development (PUD) is a self-contained development planned under special zoning ordinances that allow maximum use of open space by reducing lot sizes and street sizes.

Zero lot line is a term used to describe the positioning of a structure on a lot so that one side rests directly on the lot’s boundary line (no setback requirement).

Environmental impact statements summarize the effect that proposed development will have on the surroundings.