Encouraging sustainable development in a coastal community: New Hanover County, North Carolina's exceptional design zoning district

摘要

While New Hanover County is the second smallest county in North Carolina, it is also the second most denselyudpopulated with approximately 850 people per square mile. Nestled between the Cape Fear River and Atlantic Oceanudwith surrounding barrier island beach communities, the County’s geographic location provides a prime vacationuddestination, as well as an ideal location for residents who wish to live at the water’s edge. Wilmington is the largestudcity in the County with a population just under 200,000. Most of the Wilmington metropolitan area is developed,udcreating intense development pressures for the remaining undeveloped land in the unincorporated County. In orderudto provide development opportunities for mixed use or high density projects within unincorporated New HanoverudCounty where appropriate urban features are in place to support such projects without the negative effects of urbanudsprawl, County Planning Staff recently developed an Exceptional Design Zoning District (EDZD). Largely based onudthe LEED for Neighborhood Development program, the EDZD standards were scaled to fit the unique conditions ofudthe County with the goal of encouraging sustainable development while providing density incentives to entice theuduse of the voluntary district. The incentive for the voluntary zoning district is increased density in areas where the density may not be allowed under normal circumstances. The rationale behind allowing for higher density projects is that development can be concentrated in areas where appropriate urban features are in place to support such projects, and the tendency toward urban sprawl can be minimized. With water quality being of high importance, it is perceived that higher density development will better protect water quality then lower density projects. (PDF contains 4 pages)