Purpose and findings: This district establishes a flexible procedure and standards for siting large-scale institutional uses, such as conference centers, places of worship, schools, meeting halls, museums, public safety facilities, and government administrative offices. The City finds and determines that:

• These uses provide important services for the general public, and

• These uses can generate significant traffic volumes, consume large areas of land for parking and related facilities, and create similar adverse impacts on surrounding neighborhoods; and

• The unique demands of these facilities require flexibility and case by case review in crafting suitable development standards. Many of these uses are permitted in a base zoning district, but often require flexibility in design or scale that is not available in a base zoning district.

Accordingly, this section establishes a district whereby the City can approve the siting of these facilities, while providing discretionary review to avoid or mitigate impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.

(a)

Permitted Uses. The uses listed in Table 404-1 are permitted in the "IST" District.

(b)

Procedures. A sketch plan (see Section 309) is required for uses permitted in the "IST" District, unless the proposed use is exempt from site plan review by state or federal law. The sketch plan may be submitted concurrent with an application for rezoning. However, the Board of Aldermen, with a recommendation of the Planning Commission, may attach conditions to the approval of the district subject to a development agreement. In lieu of the application submittal requirements specified in Article 3, Section 309 and Article 11, the applicant for rezoning to an "IST" District shall address each of the review criteria of this section in their application materials. If the "IST" district is approved, the applicant must then file a site plan as set out in Section 309.

(c)

Standards and Review Criteria.

(1)

Review Criteria for Rezoning—Designated Public Uses. In reviewing an application for a proposed "IST" District, the Planning Commission and Board of Aldermen shall consider the following where indicated by Table 409-1 ("Yes" in the second column):

A.

Consideration of possible alternative sites for the facility in other jurisdictions to see if a better location would be appropriate, and

B.

An analysis of the extent to which the proposed facility is of a citywide, countywide, regional or state-wide nature, and

C.

Whether uniformity among jurisdictions should be considered.

D.

Whether the financial impact upon the City of Frederick can be reduced or avoided by an intergovernmental agreement.

(2)

Measures to Facilitate Siting. The Planning Commission and Board of Aldermen shall analyze the following factors when considering the location, design and any conditions of approval for the facility:

A.

The availability of land; and

B.

Access to transportation; and

C.

Compatibility with neighboring uses; and

D.

The impact on the physical environment.

(d)

Development Standards. Uses within the "IST" District are not subject to the dimensional standards of Section 405. However, such uses are subject to:

(1)

The development standards in Articles 6 and 7 of this Code; and

(2)

The performance standards established in Section 407 of this Article.

Table 409-1 Permitted Uses in "IST" District

(Supp. No. 1, Ord. No. G-05-15, § 6, 9-15-05; Supp. No. 1, Ord. No. G-05-15, § 7, 9-15-05)