ORlEANS ANNUAl TOwN REPORt FOR YEAR ... - Town Of Orleans

Land Use Vision Map, and reorganization of the Commission’s staff for Fiscal Year2009. The restructuring is intended to better reflect the Commission’s primary activities:planning, technical services, and regulation.Implementation of Task Force RecommendationsThe agency continued to pursue implementation of the recommendations of the TaskForce throughout the year. Activities focused on working with towns to develop theRegional Land Use Vision Map, changing the Regional Policy Plan, introducing moreflexible Development of Regional Impact (DRI) thresholds (part of the Commission’sEnabling Regulations), and establishing a “Limited DRI Review” process (also part ofthe Enabling Regulations).Regional Land Use Vision MapThe Commission’s staff worked with municipal staff and officials in Cape towns todevelop each town’s portion of the proposed Regional Land Use Vision Map, which,among other uses, will help define the regional regulatory thresholds and developmentreview standards. The Regional Land Use Vision Map is being developed usinginformation about sensitive resources, local planning knowledge, and existing patternsof development to identify discrete areas to focus growth and redevelopment efforts,and to identify resource protection areas that require additional planning or wheresignificant change may not be appropriate. The goal, through identifying appropriategrowth areas, planning and implementing necessary infrastructure improvements, andmaking appropriate regulatory changes, is to create incentives that direct growth andreinvestment to areas where it can be accommodated, and away from areas thatrequire increased protections for ecological, historical, or other reasons.Up to five broad land use categories have been identified for the Regional Land UseVision Map: Economic Centers, Villages, Industrial/Service Trade Areas, ResourceProtection Areas, and Other areas. Upon completion of a public forum and endorsementof the town’s draft map by the town planning board, the town’s draft map will beincorporated into a Regional Land Use Vision Map. Once the map is adopted, DRIs willbe eligible for minimum performance standards pertaining to Economic Centers tocreate some initial incentives for investment in these areas.DRI ThresholdsThe Commission is also proposing a flexible framework for DRI thresholds that will allowtowns, at their initiative, to customize regional thresholds to address local planninggoals for these mapped areas. Towns seeking changes to DRI thresholds will berequired to have a design and infrastructure plan adopted by town meeting to addressanticipated growth in Economic Centers and Industrial/Service Trade Areas, and mayadopt a local impact fee system to provide infrastructure funding. In addition, theCommission may require lower DRI thresholds for Resource Protection Areas as part ofthe town’s request for higher thresholds in some mapped areas. The Commission will136