Comprehensive Master Plan - City of Alvin

Appendix A, Land Use Supplementdwellings and the worst or lowest use is heavy industry. The further twoadjoining uses are in the hierarchy, the worse the nuisance potential. Thetheory of bufferyards is that a landscaped area that separates the uses cando much to mitigate the potential nuisance. The bufferyard designincorporates four things, including distance, plant material, plant density,and structures such as screening walls to protect the adjoining land use.In subdivision regulations, mitigating nuisances is based on good design,ensuring that development is laid out to avoid nuisances. The use ofbufferyards may be on anindividual development orsubdivision basis. The developermust identify the uses that are onhis development and adjoiningproperties. For the easiest and mosteffective use of this tool, arelatively few classifications arerecommended, including one ortwo residential land uses bydensity, commercial, business, andheavy business uses. Theprotection is oriented to protectingresidential uses. The topphotograph depicts what oftenhappens when a residential Common buffer of a residential useproperty owner has to protectthemselves. The lower photographshows the buffer required to beinstalled by the commercialdevelopment to buffer and protectneighboring property values.The code would have a chart thatindicates the level of buffer neededto protect residential use fromdifferent use types. Thus, protectionis certain. The regulations requireprotection by developing usesthereby easing protection of existingresidential uses abuttingundeveloped property. This meansBuffer required by the development codePage A-9