City of Lawrenceville Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee

3.7.2 Land Use OpportunitiesIncrease opportunities for higher densityThe City should encourage development in the High RiseCorridor Overlay District (and Character Area) whereincreased densities are permitted. The City should alsoexamine other character areas and zoning districts todetermine where higher densities may be appropriate,especially in mixed use arrangements. Not every area ofLawrenceville would be appropriate for higher densities, butthere are many areas where multi-story office/retail andresidential buildings would be appropriate for a maturingcounty seat of an urbanizing county.Install overlay districts/form­based zoning to guideredevelopmentThe City should review the zoning ordinance, in light of therecommended Character Areas, to establish developmentoverlay districts or other techniques to guide thedevelopment of vacant parcels and the redevelopment ofparcels. Although it will require a paradigm shift, the Citymay want to consider alternative approaches to traditionalzoning approaches to achieve the appearance, density anduse mixtures that have been discussed in this Agendadocument. Alternative approaches need also to enlist morerestrictive requirements that aid in protecting propertyvalues.A good example of this practice in place in the City is theredevelopment of Scenic Highway from Moon Road toGwinnett Drive. As is the case with many older residentialunits that front a major roadway in the County, the housesalong Scenic Highway have slowly been converted to officeuses. However, due to good planning by the City with theirwork to include a grassed median in the widening of ScenicHighway, and by the proper application of zoning principles(Office Neighborhood zoning district) along this section ofroadway, the office uses do not seem in conflict withresidential uses in the adjacent neighborhoods. Theseprinciples can be extended to other areas of the City.City of Lawrenceville 3 - 15Comprehensive Plan 2030Adopted VersionCommunity Agenda 6 October 2008