Comprehensive Plan Review · Rezone Parcels

HEXPLAN

Congratulations on your appointment as Regional Planning Director.

You have 25 years to guide county growth. The work is simple in the way public meetings are simple: balance housing, jobs, preservation, transportation, and public opinion while the map keeps changing.

Good luck.

- Office of the County Administrator
DECISION REQUIRED

DEVELOPMENT REVIEW

Site Review

Mixed-Use Development
Zoned: Commercial
⚠ Staff Concern

Community Health

65%
Public Approval
Traffic Congestion
Low
Jobs : Housing
0.5
Green Space
45%

Balanced Growth

Mayor's Initiatives · 25-Year Vision
Scenario Goals
  • -
Community Indicators
Traffic
Low
Jobs : Housing
0.5
Green Space
45%

County Comprehensive Plan Guide

County Vision

The County vision is to balance jobs, housing, infrastructure, preservation, and public approval. A strong plan does not chase every request; it creates a pattern the market can actually build.

Development Pipeline

  • Future Land → not yet zoned for development
  • Zoned → allowed by policy, but not guaranteed to build
  • Under Construction → market has committed to the project
  • Occupied → complete and absorbed by the market
  • Stalled Zoning → entitled land that has not attracted construction

Demand and Supply

Demand is market pull. Supply is built inventory. Pipeline is zoned, under construction, and built. Too much pipeline in the wrong place can still stall.

Rural District

Intent: low-density homes, agriculture, and open-space transition. Best near water, trails, preserved land, and local roads. Conflicts with highways, industrial uses, and urban intensity.

Suburban District

Intent: neighborhood growth. Best with local or collector roads, nearby retail, trails, and open space. Conflicts with industrial neighbors and noisy arterial frontage.

Retail District

Intent: services for nearby households and workers. Best near customers, collector/arterial access, trails, and other activity. Weak when isolated.

Commercial District

Intent: jobs and services. Best with collector/arterial access, nearby retail, urban activity, and workforce. Weak when isolated or pushed into sensitive sites.

Urban District

Intent: compact density. Best near services, trails, collector-level access, and other urban activity. Weak when isolated or next to incompatible industrial uses.

Industrial District

Intent: employment and logistics. Best near highway/arterial access, edges, and other industrial uses. Conflicts with suburban, urban, water, and preserved contexts.

Infrastructure Points

Infrastructure Points build and improve roads and trails. Stronger development increases annual capacity, but points are still limited enough that poor early networks can hurt late-game growth.

Road Hierarchy

Local roads support neighborhoods. Collectors support moderate activity. Arterials support heavy retail, commercial, urban, and industrial demand. Some state-controlled corridors can only change through events.

Trail Capture

Trails help local trips reach homes, shops, and activity centers. Strong trail connections can improve suitability, public approval, and five-year bonuses.

Zoning Points

Zoning Points bank each year. They can be spent during five-year zoning windows or used as hearing currency for variance and event choices.

Variance Hearings

Variances are market pressure. Approving usually requires Zoning Points. Conditional approval asks the applicant to accept stipulations; if they agree, the County may receive free access improvements around the site.

Planning Events

Events respond to the map. Good patterns tend to create useful opportunities. Poor patterns tend to create expensive fixes, public pressure, or awkward meetings with diagrams.