Ohio Balanced Growth Program Zoning and Planning for Natural Areas Management Kirby Date, AICP, Cleveland State University

Ohio Balanced Growth Program

Zoning and Planning for Natural Areas Management

Kirby Date, AICP, Cleveland State University

balancedgrowth.ohio.gov










Natural Landscapes Are Important in Development Areas

• Existing or new• Purify air and water• Reduce watershed flood

impacts: Slow water down and absorb it

• Add value to property and community

• Provide peaceful settings and places to recreate

• Trees reduce energy needs by providing shade and windbreaks


Recommendations

• Preserve large blocks of open space

• Strategize early for high priority natural areas and woodlands

• Get expert advice• Prepare site properly

for new planting • Protect during

construction• Monitor after

construction


Tools for Communities• Comprehensive Planning Policy• Balanced Growth Watershed Planning

Partnerships• Land acquisition• Landowner planning and conservation

easements• Stream, floodplain, and wetland setback

ordinances• Conservation development ordinances• Tree and woodland protection ordinances• Natural areas management ordinances• Balanced Growth Resources!


Comprehensive Planning Policy

• Objective analysis of resources community-wide

• Incorporates community consensus

• Broad policy guide, lays groundwork for zoning and other action steps


Balanced Growth Watershed Plans:Voluntary, Locally-Determined Collaborative Planning

A complement to local

Land Use plans:Linking PDAs, PCAs,PAAs to incentives

Extra points on applications Special consideration in review processPercentage point discountsPriority technical assistanceGrant programs


Land Acquisition: Our Public Parks and Preserves


Swan Creek

Metroparks land acquisition in Oak Openings


Conservation Easements

• Private action step• Property must have

“conservation value”• Open space/forests• Stream corridors• Agricultural land• Historic – land or

façade• Scenic corridors/vistas


Conservation Easement Holders

• Communities• Park Districts, SWCDs• Nonprofit organizations

(with public purpose) – land trusts, historic orgs., CMNH

• Other State and Local public agencies

Western Reserve Land Conservancy


Conservation Easements on Development Projects

• May not be tax break for developer

• Need willing easement holder

• Monitoring for encroachment a must

• Demonstrate and keep conservation value


• Provide natural landscaped area for improved absorption/filtering

• Apply to meadows, shrub meadows, and woodlands

• Reduce lawn area (runoff, pollutants)

• Add to aesthetic value• Lower maintenance

costs over time

Zoning Provisions: Natural Areas Establishment/Management


Checklist for code review:Natural Areas Management

• Exempt natural areas from mowing ordinances

• Allow meadows, succession, young woodland, wetlands

• Provide an expert• Optional review body• Provide community

with authority to remedy problems

• Address education





Zoning code provisions:Tree and Woodland Protection

1) Pre-design assessment by certified professional• NOT detailed survey

initially• Prioritization based on

health, species, location, tolerance

2) Site design accommodates priorities3) Construction protection4) Post-construction monitoring


Zoning Provisions: Stream, Floodplain, and Wetland Protection

• Prohibit development in the floodplain, with concessions made to accommodate special needs

• Prohibit construction of any kind within the setback width

• Widen the setback width to accommodate wetlands and 100 year floodplain

• Encourage native vegetation and trees

• Include monitoring, grandfathering and variance provisions


Conventional Conservation Development• 40-50% Permanent Open Space• Provisions for Quality Open Space• Resource Protection• Appropriate Development

Intensity

Zoning Code Provisions: Conservation Development








Linking Land Use and Ohio’s Waters

A Planning Framework

Best Local Land Use Practices


• Location of development for minimum impact• Management and control of storm water and

erosion• Protection of stream and wetland areas so

they can do their job as storm water infrastructure

• Protection of scenic, historic and natural resources to create our “great place”

Our Local Government Decisions Make a Difference!


Best Local Land Use Practices

• Comprehensive Planning

• Compact Development

• Conservation Development

• Storm Water Management

• Stream, Wetland and Floodplain Protection

• Natural Areas Establishment

• Source Water Protection

• Woodland Protection• Steep Slope

Protection• Transfer of

Development Rights• Agricultural Land

Protection• Brownfields

Redevelopment• Historic Protection• Scenic Protection• Access Management


Resources: Bibliography150 papers on the economic benefits of the practices

• “Trees improve home values. Tree cover provides up to $20,000 or 10% increase in value to residential homes in urban settings. (Dimke 2008)

• “The more forest cover there is in a watershed, the lower the treatment costs for suppliers drawing from surface water sources. For every 10% increase in forest cover in the source area, treatment and chemical costs decreased by approximately 20%” (Trust for Public Land)


Resources: Example Codes and Comparison Matrices


Tools: Case Studies and Example Projects


Resources: Technical Assistance

• 24 hours free technical assistance available to individual communities

• South Euclid: review of PUD code and available sites


Resources:

• Toledo Botanical Gardenhttp://toledogarden.org• Your County SWCD• Your Local Metroparks• ODNR Division of Forestryhttp://ohiodnr.com/forestry• Ohio Balanced Growth Programhttp://balancedgrowth.ohio.gov

http://toledogarden.org/

http://ohiodnr.com/forestry

http://balancedgrowth.ohio.gov/


Gail HesseExecutive DirectorSandra Kosek-SillsEnvironmental Specialist419-621-2040 (office)419-357-2775 (cell)[email protected]

Brian HallAdministratorwww.ohiodnr.com/owrc

Kirby Date, AICPBest Local Land Use PracticesProgram [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



Documents

Ohio Balanced Growth Program Zoning and Planning for Natural Areas Management Kirby Date, AICP, Cleveland State University