Model Ordinances & Guidelines for Sustainable Development
This report provides model ordinances and guidance on a variety of sustainable policies including growth management, managing of community resoruces, neigbhorhood design and infrastructure.
Contained within this report are model ordinances and design guidelines for:
- Conservation Subdivisions
- Urban Growth Boundaries
- Significant Environmental Areas Overlay
- Transfer of Development Rights
- Water Supply Planning
- Town Center District design
- Urban Expansion District design
One of the most widely utilized green infrastructure preservation tools is the conservation subdivision. These model ordinances from Minnesota and Georgia take slightly different approaches in conveying information on establishing conservation subdivisions. The Minnesota model deals with dimensional requirements while the Georgia model focuses on graphic representations. Conventionally, subdivisions usually allow for the division of all land available into minimum lot sizes as required by a zoning code or development ordinance. Conservation subdivision models typically divorce the concepts of density and lot size. The overall density of a project may be determined by the gross acreage divided by the minimum lot size, but the actual dimensional requirements of each lot may be reduced to allow them to be built closer together, thus resulting in more contiguous, undisturbed land for use as agricultural, recreational or open space.
At a minimum, conservation subdivision ordinances usually include provisions that consider a variety of land use elements and dimensional requirements:
- Density standards
- Minimum permitted lot sizes
- Minimum frontages and setbacks
- Geographical applicability
- Buffering requirements
- Quality and configuration of open space
The most successful ordinances typically also include design guidelines.
The sample conservation subdivision ordinance created by the Environmental Quality Board of Minnesota Department of Planning includes examples of the land use elements and dimensional requirements typical of such regulations. The sample rural clustering ordinance created by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs is written with less specificity but incorporates a graphic element to better illustrate the aesthetic goals of conservation subdivision design. There are many examples of conservation subdivision ordinances, and a community should tailor an ordinance to fit its specific needs. Presenting graphic components that illustrate the regulations in addition to including information in a text format may help implement the design goals of a conservation subdivision.
