PRESERVATION and PROGRESS IN THE DRAGON RUN

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PRESERVATION and PROGRESS IN THE DRAGON RUN
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PRESERVATION and PROGRESS IN THE DRAGON
RUN COORDINATING LAND USE POLICIES AND
PRACTICES
PARADIGM DESIGN
January 25, 2005 Work Session
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PROJECT OVERVIEW
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BACKGROUND
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BACKGROUND

• Memorandum of Agreement adopted in 2001

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BACKGROUND

• Memorandum of Agreement adopted in 2001
• Land Use Policy Audit completed in 2003

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BACKGROUND

• Memorandum of Agreement adopted in 2001
• Land Use Policy Audit completed in 2003
• Watershed Management Plan adopted in 2004 (3
  counties)

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BACKGROUND

• Memorandum of Agreement adopted in 2001
• Land Use Policy Audit completed in 2003
• Watershed Management Plan adopted in 2004 (3
  counties)
• 2005 Preservation and Progress - Coordinating
  Land Use Policies and Practices

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PROJECT OBJECTIVES
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PROJECT OBJECTIVES

• Implement the goals objectives of the Dragon
  Run Memorandum of Agreement

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GOAL I Establish a high level of cooperation
and communication between the four
counties within the Dragon Run Watershed to
achieve consistency across county boundaries.
MISSION, GOALS OBJECTIVES OF THE DRAGON RUN
MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT     MISSION To support
and promote community-based efforts to preserve
the cultural, historic, and natural character of
the Dragon Run, while preserving property rights
and the traditional uses within the
watershed.   GOAL I Establish a high level of
cooperation and communication between the four
counties within the Dragon Run Watershed to
achieve consistency across county
boundaries.   OBJECTIVE A Develop a plan to
address the inevitable future development
pressure to change the traditional use of land in
the Dragon Run Watershed.   OBJECTIVE B Achieve
consistency across county boundaries among land
use plans and regulations in order to maintain
farming and forestry and to preserve
natural heritage areas by protecting plants,
animals, natural communities, and
aquatic systems.   OBJECTIVE C Provide ongoing
monitoring of existing plans and planning tools
in order to assess traditional land uses and
watershed health and take action necessary
to preserve the watershed.   OBJECTIVE D
Comprehensively implement Best Management
Practices (BMPs) for water quality, wildlife
habitat, and soil conservation.   GOAL II Foster
educational partnerships and opportunities to
establish the communitys connection to and
respect for the land and water of the Dragon
Run.   OBJECTIVE A Encourage experience-based
education consistent with the Stewardship
and Community Engagement goals of the Chesapeake
2000 Agreement.   OBJECTIVE B Promote the
community and economic benefits of the Dragon Run
derived from its natural characteristics and
traditional uses such as farming, forestry,
hunting and fishing.   GOAL III Promote the
concept of landowner stewardship that has served
to preserve the Dragon Run Watershed as a
regional treasure.   OBJECTIVE A Address the
potential dilemma of preserving the watersheds
sense of peace and serenity by protecting open
space and reducing fragmentation of farms,
forests, and wildlife habitat versus the
landowners rights in determining or
influencing future land use.   OBJECTIVE
B Educate landowners about the regional
importance of the Dragon Run.  
OBJECTIVES A. Develop a plan to address the
inevitable future development pressure to change
the traditional use of land in the Dragon Run
Watershed.   B. Achieve consistency across county
boundaries among land use plans and regulations
in order to maintain farming and forestry and to
preserve natural heritage areas by protecting
plants, animals, natural communities, and
aquatic systems.
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PROJECT OBJECTIVES

• Implement the goals objectives of the Dragon
  Run Memorandum of Agreement
• Develop model planning policies and standards
  for the Dragon Run

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PROJECT OBJECTIVES

• Implement the goals objectives of the Dragon
  Run Memorandum of Agreement
• Develop model planning policies and standards
  for the Dragon Run
• Work with each County to adopt consistent land
  use policies to protect the Dragon Run and
  encourage compatible economic development uses

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SCOPE SCHEDULE
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SCOPE SCHEDULE
PHASE 1 DEVELOPING THE MODEL DISTRICTS
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
KICK OFF ORGANIZATIONAL
MODEL COMP PLAN DISTRICT
MODEL ZONING OVERLAY DISTRICT
ILLUSTRATIVES PUBLIC PRESENT.

PRODUCTION OF DELIVERABLES KEY MEETINGS
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SCOPE SCHEDULE
PHASE 2 WORKING WITH THE COUNTIES
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
COUNTY TECHNICAL MEMORANDA
WORK SESSIONS WITH COUNTY STAFF
PUBLIC INFORMAT. MEETINGS
SUPPORT FOR ADOPTION OF AMENDMENTS

PRODUCTION OF DELIVERABLES ONGOING MEETINGS
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ROLES
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ROLES

• Citizens at large
• Landowners and other stakeholders
• Input, evaluation and consensus on
  recommendations
• Dragon Run Steering Committee
• Core group of Landowners and County officials to
  represent stakeholders
• Develop key recommendations for model districts
  for the Dragon Run
• County Officials
• Boards of Supervisors and Planning Commissions
• Review, evaluate and adopt recommendations for
  each County

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ROLES - (contd)

• County Staff
• County Administrators, planners others
• Review, refine and customize recommendations
• Planning District Commission
• SAMP Director
• Technical and organizational resource
• Consultant
• Paradigm Design - Land Use Planning
• Technical staff to Steering Committee and
  Counties

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Questions or Comments?
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LAND USE POLICY AUDIT
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THE LAND USE POLICY AUDIT

• Comprehensive Audit of the 4 Counties in 2003.
• Looked at
• Comprehensive Plan
• Zoning
• Subdivision
• Chesapeake Bay Others
• Looked at both regional scale site scale

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THE LAND USE POLICY AUDIT

• FINDINGS
• Comprehensive Plans give little policy guidance
  about the Dragon Run
• Zoning Ordinances allow some incompatible uses
  (auto graveyards, landfills, etc.)
• Special Districts (DRCD Chesapeake Bay) are
  generally streamside protections
• Subdivision Ordinances generally control density
  (2-6 units maximum for Minor Subdivisions)

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COMPREHENSIVE PLAN All Counties
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ZONING All Counties
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• EXISTING CONDITIONS
• 100 Year Floodplain
• Wetlands
• Existing Structures
• Parcel Sizes

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• CURRENT POLICIES
• 5-Ac. average lot size
• By Right development
• 2-6 Lots per parcel under Minor Subdivision

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• TYPICAL FARM
• 100 Ac. farm forest
• Traditional farmstead
• Fronts on Dragon Run
• Ches. Bay RPA/RMA

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• CURRENT POLICIES
• 6 Lot Minor Subdivision
• 4 waterfront lots (5-10 ac. each)
• 2 farm lots (20-30 ac. each)
• Clearing permitted outside Ches. Bay area

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THE LAND USE POLICY AUDIT

• OPPORTUNITIES
• Adopt model planning districts in the
  Comprehensive Plans of the 4 Counties?
• Adopt Zoning Overlay districts in the Counties?
• Align Subdivision and Zoning Ordinances?
• Develop Owners Manual for Dragon Run
  landowners (voluntary guidelines)?

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TRENDS ISSUES
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Why change things now?
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• Why change things now?
• Landowners have effectively conserved the Dragon
  Run to date

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• Why change things now?
• Landowners have effectively conserved the Dragon
  Run to date
• Current development pressures are low

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• Why change things now?
• Landowners have effectively conserved the Dragon
  Run to date
• Current development pressures are low
• BUT - development pressures are influenced by
  regional, national, even global trends

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• Why change things now?
• Landowners have effectively conserved the Dragon
  Run to date
• Current development pressures are low
• BUT - development pressures are influenced by
  regional, national, even global trends
• Will the current policies / ordinances conserve
  the Dragon Run in the future?

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ISSUES

• Why do we have these growth issues?
• The causes of growth problems are regional,
  national and global, and yet . . .

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ISSUES (contd)
The solutions are mainly implemented by
localities
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ISSUES (contd)

• New knowledge-based economy allows people to
  live anywhere.
• 70 of American households do not have school age
  children
• Demographers now predict long-term gradual
  dispersal of the population into small towns and
  rural areas

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ISSUES (contd)
The edges of Metro regions are starting to merge
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ISSUES (contd)

• Once an area is discovered, it is often beyond
  the power of a locality to prevent major land
  development
• There is pressure to develop before the land
  boom dies
• Growth taxes the road, water, sewage treatment
  systems (and the residents)
• New populations bring different perceptions -
  vote on different priorities
• New taxes on landowners mean even more pressure
  to convert rural land

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ISSUES (contd)

• Citizens often seem to want it both ways- they
  dislike
• New roads AND traffic congestion
• Dispersed growth AND density
• Expensive AND cheap housing

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ISSUES (contd)

• Dilemmas faced by scenic rural areas (e.g.Dragon
  Run)
• Traditional industries (timber, forestry) face
  global commodity value declines
• Welcome new sources of income - BUT dont want
  changes in quality of life
• Desire to see the resources protected BUT dont
  want to tell others what to do with their land

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LOW DENSITY HOUSES ON 2ac.-5ac. LOTS SPREAD OUT
OVER THE LANDSCAPE
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• We should be interested in what kind of community
  we will leave for our children
• Can we leave it,
• Greater
• More Prosperous
• More Beautiful
• than we found it?
• Edward McMahon, Middle Peninsula, November 30,
  2004

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• Failing to plan means planning to fail
• We spend too much time fighting over what we
  disagree on - not enough time on what we agree
  on!
• Develop a Vision for the Future
• Build local plans around the enhancement of
  natural cultural assets
• Use education, incentives and voluntary
  initiatives - not just regulations
• Develop a quality of life lobby
• Edward McMahon, Middle Peninsula, November 30,
  2004

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In Summary

• The causes of sprawl are regional or national,
  but the tools are implemented locally
• The Dragon Run Steering Committee is an excellent
  resource for developing these tools
• The timing is critical to begin developing these
  tools for the Dragon Run today

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NEXT STEPS

• GIVE FEEDBACK
• EVALUATE /CRITIQUE THE PROJECT OBJECTIVES
• PARTICIPATE!

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Questions or Comments?