Wednesday, August 22, 2001
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Wednesday, August 22, 2001 |
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Planning panel reviewing green space law By DAVE
HAMRICK Developers would be allowed to build smaller home lots in exchange for more open green space under a new ordinance under consideration by county planners. Members of the county Planning Commission took a look at a first draft of the ordinance last week and will study the document this month before discussing it in detail next month. Under the draft, developers who want to take advantage of the concept would have to submit a "yield plan" showing that their plans for "conservation" subdivisions would yield no more homes than the current zoning would allow without the special consideration. Open spaces could be used only for passive recreation such as trails and paths, picnic areas and horse stables for the use of subdivision residents only, and any improvements would be limited to 5 percent of the open space. The green space would have to be owned by a mandatory home owners association or donated to a land trust, a conservation organization or the county. Senior planner Pete Frisina designed the draft to meet the requirements of Georgia's green space program, which the county recently joined. The program provides state money targeted toward setting aside 20 percent of the land in metro Atlanta counties for green space. "What I'm trying to do is cater this thing to support this green space program we're involved in," said Frisina. Not yet included in the proposed ordinance, but something he hopes to add, Frisina said, is a section providing incentives for developers to retain historic structures on properties being developed. "I want to make allowances for historic structures an encourage developers to use them as community centers," he said. Frisina said he also is working with county attorneys to word a section on what happens if green space is owned by a homeowners association and the association dissolves. He also presented commissioners with a map showing all of Fayette's stream corridors, considered the most logical places to establish green space using local and state funds to buy property. The wetlands are cheaper and easier to buy, he said, and also lend themselves well to walking trails. Preserving 20 percent of Fayette's 19,000 acres won't happen overnight, he cautioned. "It's going to be a lifetime of doing this," he said.
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