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Unified Land Development Code

Update 2012

September 11, 2012Continuation of

First Public Hearing

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Board workshops to discuss working drafts

Workshops with community organizations or citizens as requested◦ Met with Builders Association, Grow Gainesville,

Rural Concerns, Affordable Housing Advisory Committee

First Public Hearing conducted June 26, 2012◦ Chapters 400 through 407, Article 3, Signs

Process for Updating the ULDC

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Complete Chapter 407 and receive Board direction

Present Chapters 408-410 and receive Board direction

Present changes made to Chapters 400-407 per Board direction from June 26

Continuation of First Public Hearing

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Section 407.46 Required Irrigation

Changed irrigation requirements to only apply to required landscaping and only require a temporary irrigation system.

Require irrigation plans to be submitted with the landscaping plans only where permanent irrigation is proposed.

  Require use of reclaimed water where available.  Require trees to have individual low flow or micro-irrigation

supplies and for the irrigation to be discontinued once the trees or other plant materials are established.

Chapter 407 Article 4 Landscaping

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Table 407.50.1 Appropriate Tree Plantings◦ Reduced all the 20 foot minimum tree planting

areas to 12 feet

Chapter 407 Article 4 Landscaping

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Section 407.54 (c) TNDs, TODs, and Mixed-Use Developments

 

◦ Deleted Quality Mixed-Use Developments

◦ Combined regulations for open space for TNDs, TODs and Mixed Use Developments into one place.

Section 407.55 Designation of Open Space 

◦ Added the word “primary” to modify open space that shall be connected with other open space when protection of the resources can be maintained

◦ Deleted the word contiguous

Chapter 407 Article 5 Open Space

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Article 6 Performance Standards – no changes◦ Fumes, glare, noise, Industrial standards

Article 7 TND and TOD◦ Major change in this article was to move language

to Article 4 Landscaping and Article 5 Open Space to consolidate regulations for all developments

Chapter 407 Article 6 and Article 7

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Section 407.73(f)1 Clarified language concerning parent tracts that are divided once without having to comply with the subdivision regulations.

Section 407.73(i) Deleted section on changes to plat by variance – not allowed (new since 1st hearing)

Section 407.75 Family Homestead Subdivisions◦ Expanded this section to include family subdivisions

that do not need the density exception granted by a family homestead certificate

Chapter 407Article 8 - Subdivision Regulations

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Section 407.77(b)1.a.viii. Added common renewable energy systems to the list of permitted uses in open space areas for Rural/Agriculture Clustered Subdivisions.

  Section 407.83 Plat Document Requirements

◦ added amount of the required surety and acceptable documentation

Section 407.86(c)2. a. ◦ Clarified language for which documents are required to be

submitted when an applicant is requesting the County to take over the maintenance of a facility

Chapter 407 Article 8 Subdivision Regulations

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Article 9 Stormwater Management◦ No major changes – some clarifications◦ Section 407.97 (c) -Added ‘stormwater-related’ to

requirement for submittal of electronic CAD files (new since 1st hearing)

Article 10 Building Design◦ No changes

Chapter 407 Article 9 Stormwater Management and Article 10 Building Design

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Section 407.109 ◦ DRC may authorize for exception for connection to

centralized water and sewer for certain non-residential uses and for new residential uses designated Estate Residential in the Comprehensive Plan.

◦ This clarification is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.

  Section 407.109(d) Granting of Exceptions

◦ Deleted requirement to install dry lines ◦ Added requirements to use low-flow plumbing fixtures and

use the St. John’s River Water Management District’s Water Star standards.

Ch. 407 Article 11 Potable Water, Wastewater and Reclaimed Water Service

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Section 407.116.5 Reclaimed Water Supply◦ Added requirement that all new developments

within GRU’s reclaimed water service area shall provide reclaimed water to areas to be irrigated within the development

Purpose is to encourage water conservation and require the use of the lowest acceptable quality source of water for landscape irrigation (reclaimed water)

Ch. 407 Article 11 Potable Water, Wastewater and Reclaimed Water Service

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Section 407.118 (d) 5◦ Added list of types of residential development

that are exempt from concurrency requirements for public school facilities

Chapter 407 Article 12 Concurrency Mgt

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Section 407.133 Required Information◦ Clarified information required for all driveway

connection permits

 Section 407.136 Other Access Management Considerations◦ Added requirement that all left-turn storage lanes,

at a minimum must include the addition of paved shoulders and a full-width asphalt overlay

Chapter 407 Article 13 Access Management

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Section 407.141 Minimum Design and Construction Standards for Streets and Drainage Systems◦ added more roadway classifications to provide more variability

in required pavement thickness

  Section 407.141(g) Drainage Systems

◦ 6. Roadside Swales Added new requirements for open drainage systems

(roadside swales)

 Section 407.141 (i) Intersection Design ◦ 4. Roundabouts and 5. Signal

Added language for roundabouts and when a signal is proposed to provide standards for current practice

Chapter 407Article 13 Access Management

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New section. Moved all existing language for lighting into this article.

Added new section on athletic field lighting that would now apply to any athletic field not just fields associated with educational facilities.

Article 14 Outdoor Lighting

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Section 408.14 Discontinuance of Nonconforming Uses of Land◦ Nonconforming open uses of land (junkyards, kennels,

commercial animal raising, etc.) must be discontinued within 18 months of notice by the County unless granted an extension by County Commission Added provision for the County Commission to grant a

longer time frame to come into compliance based on certain criteria: No impact to public health, safety and welfare Substantial obligations incurred on behalf of the property

owner that would take longer to amortize. Provisions made to reduce noise, odor, glare

Chapter 408 Nonconformities

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Section 408.21(a) 1.a. deleted language requiring a signs to conform to current code including illumination standards when changing use of a property

Chapter 408 Nonconformities

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New definitions◦ Agritourism activities◦ Child care center◦ Development Plan, minor◦ Dwelling, multi-family◦ Ecotourism activities◦ Education facility, college/university◦ Green roof◦ Industry, heavy◦ Internet Center◦ Irrigation, low volume◦ Irrigation, high volume◦ Irrigation, micro◦ Rapid infiltration basins (RIBs)◦ Residential recreational camp

Chapter 410 Definitions

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New Definitions:◦ Irrigation, low volume◦ Irrigation, high volume◦ Irrigation, micro◦ Rapid infiltration basins (RIBs)◦ Residential recreational camp◦ Sign, portico or entry◦ Sign, Wayfinding◦ Simulated Gambling Establishment◦ Simulated Gambling Device

Chapter 410 Definitions

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New Definitions:◦ Sign, portico or entry◦ Sign, Wayfinding◦ Simulated Gambling Establishment◦ Simulated Gambling Device◦ Substantial improvement◦ Survey- boundary and ◦ Survey-topographic◦ University◦ Use, principal◦ Value-added good

Chapter 410 Definitions

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Amended Definitions:

◦ Advanced Waste Treatment◦ Education facility, private ◦ Education facility, public◦ Cocktail lounge, bar, tavern or nightclub◦ High aquifer recharge areas ◦ Industry, light ◦ Low Impact Development ◦ Nursing Home facility◦ Small-scale comprehensive plan amendment

Chapter 410 Definitions

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Changes from First Public Hearing

Board Direction on Chapters 400 through 407-Article 3 received on June 26

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Section 401.20 – Development Review Departments Powers and Duties◦ (a)2 – Development Review Committee: added

‘activities that propose significant adverse impact to regulated natural and historic resources’

◦ (c)1 – Decisions of Environmental Protection Department: added ‘minimal impact activities’ to clarify EPD can authorize minimal impacts adjacent to wetlands

◦ Other wetland impacts still BOCC review

Chapter 401- Development Review Bodies

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Section 402.05 – Development Application Forms – corrected reference citation

Table 402.44.1 – Development Thresholds◦ Institutional/Place of Worship/Civic Organization

moved to its own line on table with 25,000 SF threshold

◦ Added recreation to 25,000 threshold Would include golf courses

Chapter 402 – Development Application Review Procedures

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Section 402.44 – Development Plan Review ◦ Added sentence explaining expansions to existing

development subject to thresholds in Table 402.44.1

Section 402.115.5 – Voluntary Termination of Special Exceptions◦ Minor edits to match language for termination of

Special Use Permits

Section 402.154 – Signage for Temporary Use Permits◦ Allows any number of signs with maximum size of

16 SF each

Chapter 402 – Development Application Review Procedures

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Article 2 – Use Table◦ Changed child care centers from A (accessory

use) to SE (special exception) in Agriculture and low density residential districts

◦ Changed golf courses from SE to L (limited use) in Agriculture district and added as limited use to low density residential districts (excluding R-1c)

Chapter 404 – Use Chapter

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Section 404.11- Produce Stands◦ Revised (a) to allow only as accessory to a

working farm - no longer prohibits sale of products grown offsite

◦ Deleted second sentence from (d) relating to Florida Building Code

Section 404.13 – Poultry and Livestock on Less than Five Acres◦ Added new section (c) allowing one Vietnamese

pot-bellied pig per half-acre in A, A-RB, RE, RE-1 and residential lots in Rural Clusters

◦ Some reformatting

Chapter 404 – Changes

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§404.34(c)3 – Private Educational Facilities & 404.42(f) – Civic Organizations & Places of Worship◦ Changed setback for athletic fields from 50’ to 100’◦ Added requirement that facilities with lighting or

audio systems must be approved as part of a special use permit

§404.62(e) & 404.63(h) – General & Rural Home Based Businesses◦ Added new subsections to reference signage

allowed in Chapter 407

Chapter 404 Changes

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§404.66.5 – Golf Courses◦ Research

Contacted several course designers and related professionals

American Society of Golf Course Architects – voluntary Environmental Principles very similar to new standards proposed in ULDC

◦ Proposed Changes Deleted paragraph (a) with square footage limitation Deleted item 5 in paragraph (b) encouraging use of

pervious trails

Chapter 404 Changes

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§404.89.5 – Materials Recovery, Recycling and Composting Facilities◦ Added to provide standards for special exception review of

these types of facilities

§404.108 – Docks◦ Deleted (b) – removal of regulated trees and related

reference in (e)◦ Amended (c) to meet state statutes prohibiting requirement

of state or federal permits as a condition of approval Still required prior to commencement of construction

§404.111 – Residential Recreation Camp◦ Allowance in (e) to exceed 200’ setbacks if allowed by

special exception

Chapter 404 Changes

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§405.19 – Environmental Resources (Article 5 Idylwild/Serenola Special Area Study)◦ Clarification in (a)5 regarding violations of

regulated significant upland habitat

Chapter 405 – Special Districts and Activity Centers

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§406.12 - Permitting (Article 2 Trees and Natural Vegetation)◦ Amended language in (a)4 to allow up to 400 SF

of canopy on private lots to count toward 30% canopy requirement

◦ Clarified that language in (e) about emergency tree removal only applies to public entities such as utilities

§406.90 – Protection Strategies (Article 15 Significant Geologic Features◦ Amended (e)1.b concerning disturbances to

buffers

Chapter 406 –Natural & Historic Resources

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§ 406.110 – When Required (Article 19 Management Plans) ◦ Changed minimum acreage for requiring a

management plan from four acres to five acres

406.115 – Corrective Action for Unauthorized Impacts (Article 20 Avoidance, Minimization, Mitigation and Monitoring)◦ Deleted language from (b) “if damage is

irreparable”

Chapter 406 Changes

Article 3, Signs◦ §407.28 (a) 16 – changed 30 minute time limit to

5 minutes for changeable copy

◦ §407.29 – Exemptions Added (a)10 to exempt signs internal to a

development no larger than 24 SF and 4’ tall Amended (b)5 to include “if not exempted from

407.29(a) Allows larger signs not meeting blanket exemption to

still proceed without a permit while maintaining a limit on maximum size

Chapter 407 - General Development Standards

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Article 3, Signs

◦ §407.31(f) – Signs Allowed in Any Zoning District Deleted prohibition of internal illumination for

wayfinding signs

◦ §407.32 – Signs for Residential Development Deleted Table 407.32.1 and put information into text Changed maximum size of permanent building signs

to 2 SF for single family residences Home based business only commercial message allowed

Chapter 407 - General Development Standards

Article 3, Signs

◦ §407.34 – Signs Allowed for Nonresidential Development Changed (d)1.a.iii to now allow any type of

illumination for signs Deleted standard in (b)2.d.v for 4” letters on

sidewalk signs

Chapter 407 - General Development Standards

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Alachua County Department of Growth Management

(352) 374-5249 planning@alachuacounty.us

Contact Information