§ 50-902. Intent.

(a)

It is the intent of this division to provide flexible land use and design regulations through the use of performance criteria so that small-to-large-scale neighborhoods or portions thereof may be developed within the county that incorporate a variety of residential types and nonresidential uses, and contain both individual building sites and common property which are planned and developed as one entity. Such a development is to be designed and organized so as to be capable of satisfactory use and operation as a separate entity without necessarily needing the participation of others building sites or other common property in order to function as a neighborhood. This division specifically encourages innovations in residential development so that the growing demands for housing at all economic levels may be met by greater variety in type, design and siting of dwelling and by the conservation and more efficient use of land in such developments.

(b)

This division recognizes that while the standard zoning function (use and bulk) and the subdivision function (platting and design) are appropriate for the regulation of land use in areas or neighborhoods that are already substantially developed, these controls represent a type of preregulation, regulatory rigidity and uniformity which may be inimical to the techniques or land development contained in the planned unit development concept.

(c)

This division also recognizes that the county comprehensive plan contains policies to discourage residential development in agricultural areas, and that through proper planning it should be possible to do so by allowing residential development pursuant to the planned unit development concept. Finally, this division recognizes that there are greater pressures to subdivide agricultural land, as well as general reluctance by agricultural interests to accept additional regulation in the absence of adequate incentives. To provide incentives to agricultural landowners to conserve farmland while also realizing the benefits from development, the board of county commissioners may, according to the terms of these regulations, uniformly permit higher gross residential densities for planned unit development in the F/RR and A/RR districts than are allowed for conventional development.

(1991 LDR ch. 79, § 6.05(A))