Title
Supervisor Parlin recommending the Board:
1) Consider the request from residents of Cool for the urgent need for a Design Review Combining Zone on commercial and multi-family parcels in their community; and
2) Direct staff to implement a Design Review Combining Zone for Cool/Pilot Hill and all other Community Regions and Rural Centers that are anxiously waiting for the County to implement Commercial/Multi-Family Residential Design Standards to protect their rural community character.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
During Open Forum of the April 5, 2022 Board of Supervisors meeting, residents of Cool shared their concerns about the impending development activity on several commercial parcels in their community. While these same residents expressed their appreciation to the Board for allocating funding and resources for the new Commercial/Multi-Family Residential Design Standards project, their concern is that the Design Standards project is a several year process and that there is a very real threat that commercial/multi-family projects could be approved in the meantime without the benefit of a Design Review or Design Standards. Implementing a Design Review Combining Zone on commercial and multi-family designated parcels within Community Regions and Rural Centers would be a stopgap measure to alleviate those concerns and would add discretionary review to the Design Review Permit entitlement process. Once Design Standards are adopted for a Community Region or Rural Center, the Combining Zone would no longer be needed.
This is important to our county’s future because the Custom, Culture, and Economic Stability section of the General Plan states, “The rural character of the County is its most important asset. Careful planning and management can maintain this character while accommodating reasonable growth and achieving economic stability.”
ALTERNATIVES
The Board of Supervisors could choose not to add the Combining Zone. The current process for review of c...
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