5.4 General Planned Development District

5.4.A Intent   

The intent of these regulations is to provide flexibility in site design and development intensity for land in environmentally sensitive areas in order to promote innovative approaches that preserve and enhance the natural and scenic qualities of wetlands and other natural land features. The clustering of new structures and improvements is encouraged for all planned developments in the General Planned Development District in order to maximize the preservation of open space and environmental features within the site. 

5.4.B Development Regulations   

1. The maximum residential density of a planned development is six (6) units per acre.

2. The maximum floor area of non-residential uses in a planned development is five-thousand (5,000) square feet of floor area per acre of site area.

3. The maximum building height is thirty-five (35) feet above base flood elevation.

5.4.C Design Standards   

1. The development shall preserve scenic natural views, including views from roadways, to the extent possible.

2. Sixty percent (60%) of the entire development site shall be open space, as defined below.

a. For the purposes of this section, open space includes the following:

i. Natural water features, wetlands, and conservation areas.

ii. Pedestrian trails and bicycle paths.

iii. Recreational facilities, such as swimming pools, tennis courts, and skate parks, limited to twenty percent (20%) of the total required open space.

iv. Parks and playgrounds.

b. For the purposes of this section, open space does not include the following:

i. Yards on individual lots or yards that are reserved for the use of an individual property owner.

ii. Dedicated streets, alleys, or other public rights-of-way.

iii. Vehicular drives, private streets, parking and loading areas, and storage areas.

3. Where possible, critical environmental features should be protected through conservation servitudes or other similar instruments.

4. Required open space shall be accessible to those using mobility devices, including but not limited to physically accessible amenities, accessible passage throughout open space, and accessible restroom and/or changing facilities if included in open space.

5.  If the planned development includes a residential or commercial component, buildings within the planned development shall be grouped into clusters. A cluster may consist of a single building or a group of closely-spaced buildings. Clusters shall be located at least one-hundred (100) feet apart and shall be separated by open space as defined above.

6.  Clear-cutting of forests is prohibited.

5.4.D Required Protection of General Planned Development Districts   

Disturbance to critical environmental features and wildlife habitats shall be minimized as follows:

1. New development in the GPD District shall be designed such as to avoid disturbing, to the extent possible, any critical environmental features or wildlife habitats on a site. Critical environmental features include, but are not limited to, such things as bayous, lakes, wetlands, rare or endangered species habitat, and large wooded areas. Other features may be determined to be critical to the environment and hydrology of the site and the surrounding area through the evaluation of the proposed development as part of the planned development review process.

2. The locations of any critical environmental features and wildlife habitats on the site shall be indicated on the development plan submitted with the planned development application.

3. Adverse construction impacts on environmentally critical features shall be mitigated during development.

5.4.E Required Protection of Previously-Developed General Planned Development Districts   

For previously-developed areas, which are not in an undeveloped, wooded or other natural state, the following requirements shall apply:  

1. The maximum floor area for the development is ten thousand (10,000) square feet per acre.

2. The maximum building height for the development is fifty (50) feet.

3. Only twenty (20 %) percent of the entire development shall be required to be open space as described in Section 5.4.C.2