05-24-12 Special Called Meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission

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Map 2.72.6, Future Land Use Plan, represents how and where the City will focus new development and redevelopment over the next two decades – and beyond. The Future Land Use Plan is an integral part of this Comprehensive Plan and represents the most desirable land use based upon the goals and objectives stated in the Comprehensive Plan in consideration of existing uses and development and physical characteristics of the community. The land use designations form the basis for zoning, and thereby, the location of housing, commercial, and industrial areas. The Future Land Use Plan and Thoroughfare Plan (in Chapter 4, Mobility) are the two most important planning tools available to the City. In the determination of whether a specific zoning classification conforms to the land use designation on the map, flexibility should be used to interpret land use designations boundaries which are applied on a broad scale. Street rights-a-way, lot lines, topography, and other features should be utilized in the location of appropriate zoning district boundary lines. Generally, zoning district boundaries should follow rear lot lines or alleys to preserve the cohesiveness of the streetscape and compatibility of adjacent uses. Zoning, when applied, breaks these areas into more specific classifications with legally binding land use regulations that according to state law must be 5 “in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan.” The following discusses the land use designations found in the Future Land Use Plan. During the comprehensive planning process, an existing land use study was undertaken to determine if there were any major nonconformities existing in the City’s commercial and industrial zoned areas that may (or may not) need to be reflected in the updated Future Land Use Plan. This abbreviated study was conducted in April 2012 and focused primarily on commercial and industrial zoning nonconformities. The Future Land Use Plan for the City of La Porte is a general physical plan for future development based on land use. It shows the generalized pattern of planned future land use, taking into account the City’s land use goals and objectives identified throughout the Comprehensive Plan. The purpose of the land use plan is to minimize conflicts between adjacent uses, maximize efficiency of the transportation network, achieve fiscally sound decisions pertaining to private development and public infrastructure investments, and generally to aspire to create a livable environment for the citizens of the community. The future land use classifications used on the plan to depict the type and density of development are as follows: 5 Texas Local Government Code, Sec. 211.004, Conformance with the Comprehensive Plan. 2.29 LAND USE & DEVELOPMENT 2.29 Adopted July 20, 2009