Project:
Land Development Regulations and
Design Guidelines
Recent
Updates
Please also check the
City Manager's "blog"
(an online chronological log),
at http://lakelandcitymgr.blogspot.com/
(external link) periodically for meeting
announcements, since postings to the
blog sometimes happen more quickly. From time to time, information is also sent to
Qnet, and information is sometimes announced on the agendas of various Boards and Commissions of the City of Lakeland.
Background
In 2006, after a lengthy public
process, the Planning
Department, with the assistance
of Dugan & Assoc., updated the
Comprehensive Plan. The new plan
addresses a variety of new forms
of development, lot sizes and
products; maintains our unique
and long-standing emphasis on
natural resources protection;
allows better neighborhoods and
commercial centers; and
encourages best development
practices.
In
late 2006, Farr and Assoc., of
Chicago, was chosen to lead a
project to rewrite our Land
Development Regulations and
Design Guidelines to generally
follow the new Comprehensive
Plan. Farr was chosen for this
project, because of their
expertise in architecture, urban
design, sustainable development,
planning and land development
regulations.
In
mid-March 2007, Farr & Assoc.
kicked off the project in
Lakeland, conducting various
meetings, including a public
meeting at City Hall, where
citizens, landowners, developers
and City representatives
participated in exercises aimed
at expressing opinions about
land development, particularly
emphasizing the location of
development.
Another public meeting, held in
early May 2007, focused on an
image preference survey.
Participants viewed and rated
photographs illustrating
layouts, buildings, etc., for
different development types. The
images included photographs from
Lakeland, metro-Memphis and
communities around the country.
The survey results will be used
to create regulations that will
guide future development.
Since May 2007, the Advisory
Committee has met several times,
with Farr & Assoc. to review and
develop feedback on code
proposals. Separately, a number
of follow-up meetings occurred
with City staff. Several public
meetings occurred beginning in
March 2007 to date. We estimate
that more than 200 were in
attendance when we total all of
the various meetings as of early
2009.
The coding process was perhaps
40 percent complete as of March
25, 2008, and as of early 2009,
the code drafts are more than 80
percent complete.
Please see the links above to "CityWatch"
articles, for a general
indication of the work that has
been transpiring.
There were document releases in
2007 for the Image Preference
Survey, Administration, and
Neighborhood Types, and in March
2008 for Land Use, Zoning
Districts and Uses, and Building
Types. In February 2009, drafts
for nearly all of the remaining
sections are being released,
adding sections for Stormwater,
Conservation, Tree Management,
Landscaping, Parking and others.
Additional public meetings will
occur before we could enter an
adoption stage later in 2009. At
this time, staff believes that
docketing with the Planning
Commission and Board of
Commissioners for any official
action for adoption could be no
sooner than Summer 2009.
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