A.

Overview of Site Requirements.

1.

Appendix I, Table B: Site Requirements by District: Site Requirements by District is incorporated as part of this ordinance. Site development requirements govern the overall physical development of lots within each district.

2.

Commentary. Site requirements describe "what is on the land" in general physical terms. These requirements incorporate activity and structure requirements to describe the overall site development characteristics of each district.

B.

Site Requirements.

1.

Site requirements fall into the following categories:

a.

Height restrictions;

b.

Density restrictions;

c.

Minimum lot size restrictions;

d.

Lot frontage restrictions;

e.

Setback restrictions.

C.

Purpose and Intent: Height Restrictions.

1.

The purpose of height restrictions is to control the density of development within the parish and to keep buildings within the protective capability of parish fire equipment.

D.

Purpose and Intent: Density Restrictions.

1.

The purpose of density restrictions is to supplement height restrictions in controlling the density of development in the parish. Managing development density promotes public health and safety by insuring that adequate infrastructure is in place to support development.

2.

Commentary. Height restrictions are one of the oldest forms of land use control. Unfortunately, height restrictions alone are a limited tool in managing the density of development. Because the parish is growing quickly, additional density controls are needed to balance development with available infrastructure. Rather that use a more complicated measure of density such as floor area ratio, the parish uses a clear measure of density. In the case of residential development, density is measured by dwellings per acre. In the case of commercial development, density is measured by the gross square footage of the building.

3.

The residential density and base site area are calculated using the following steps.

a.

Step 1. Determine the gross site area by an actual on-site survey. Do not include any land which is not contiguous to the parcel. This includes any property which does not abut, adjoin, or share a common boundary with the rest of the development.

b.

Step 2. Divide the proposed number of residential units by the gross site area. This equals the proposed residential density of the parcel. The residential density must be lower than the standards set forth in Appendix I, Table B: Site Requirements by District Residential development standards.

4.

Managing the size of commercial developments provides the parish with the most direct way to manage the public safety problems created by traffic congestion. To meet this objective, this ordinance relies on commercial density standards, calculated as maximum floor areas. Because the goal is to manage traffic congestion, this standard includes all buildings, existing and proposed, regardless of use, on a parcel.

E.

Purpose and Intent: Minimum Lot and Lot Frontage Restrictions.

1.

Minimum lot size and lot frontage restrictions are intended to enhance property values by requiring that structures within districts be built on lots of uniform minimum size. Minimum lot size and lot frontage restrictions also serve to promote the public health safety and welfare of the parish by controlling development density.

2.

Commentary. Within each district, the parish has established minimum lot sizes after consultation with citizens, property owners and developers. These minimum lot sizes provide for a diversity of residential housing in the parish, while preserving the rural character of the parish.

F.

Purpose and Intent: Setback and Yard Requirements.

1.

Setback and yard requirements provide another measure of density control and to manage the demand for public services. These restrictions are also intended to provide flexibility in widening parish roads for the installation of water and sewer lines.

(DC03-01, 1/9/03; DC09-09, 12/17/09)