A proposal to rezone land to a planned district shall be subject to the same criteria relative to compliance with the general development plan, land use policies, neighborhood compatibility, adequacy of streets and utilities and other elements, as is normal in rezoning deliberations.

The submittal by the developer and the approval by the City of development plans represents a firm commitment by the developer that development will indeed follow the approved plans in concept, intensity of use, aesthetic levels and quantities of open space.

Deviations in yard requirements, setbacks and relationship between buildings are acceptable and may be approved within the limits set out in "Standards of Development" in this Section, if it is deemed that other amenities or conditions will be gained to the extent that an equal or higher quality of development will result than under standard zoning procedures.

Residential areas will be planned and developed in a manner that will produce more useable open space, better recreational opportunities, safer and more attractive neighborhoods than under standard zoning and development techniques.

Commercial areas will be planned and developed so as to result in attractive, viable and safe centers and clusters, as opposed to strip patterns along thoroughfares. Control of vehicular access, architectural quality, landscaping and signs will be exercises to soften the impact on nearby residential neighborhoods and to assure minimum adverse effects on the street system and other services of the community.

The developer will be given latitude in using innovative techniques in the development of land not feasible under application of standard zoning requirements.

Planned zoning shall not be used as a refuge from the requirements of the equivalent district as to intensity of land use, amount of open space or other established development criteria.

No use will be permitted in the planned district that is not clearly permitted in the equivalent district.

Any building or portion thereof may be owned in condominium under appropriate Missouri Statutes.

The maximum height of buildings and structures shall be as set out in the equivalent district.

The intensity of land use, the floor area and bulk of buildings, the concentration of population, the percentage of lot coverage, the amount of open space, light and air shall be generally equal to that required in the equivalent zoning district.

The density of residential dwelling units, the parking requirements and the performance standards shall be the same as in the equivalent district.

The permitted uses shall be the same as those permitted in the equivalent district, provided that limitations may be placed on the occupancy of certain premises, if such limitation is deemed essential to the health, safety or general welfare of the community.

The Planning and Zoning Commission may, in the process of approving preliminary and final plans, approve deviations from the minimum standards in the equivalent district as follows:

Upon annexation of an area and/or property by the City all such areas and/or properties shall be automatically zoned to have the underlying, or neighboring parcels, equivalent zoning classification; or a zoning classification the property's current use would indicate. If either of these remedies would serve to create a non-conforming use or any type of spot zoning, then the property shall be annexed in as a legal non-conforming property and subject to the requirements of Section 405.050 of the Municipal Code regarding Non-Conforming Buildings, Structures and Uses, and as either Agriculture "A", if five (5) acres or more, or as the underlying area zoning classification and with the stipulation that the property undergo the standard procedure for rezoning. All zoning classifications assigned at the time of annexation, or approved through the rezoning process, shall also be in concert with the City's currently adopted Comprehensive Growth Plan.

In the event, the Board of Aldermen and the owners of said land desire a different classification for such annexed land, then such change shall be first submitted to the Planning and Zoning Commission for its recommendation prior to the Board of Aldermen's action on such zoning classification change.

District boundary lines are either the centerlines of railroads or the right-of-way lines of highways, streets, alleys, tract or lot lines or such lines extended, unless otherwise indicated.

In areas not subdivided into lots and blocks, wherever a district is indicated as a strip adjacent to and paralleling a street, highway or railroad, the depth of such strips shall be in accordance with dimensions shown on the maps measured at right angles from the property line of a street, highway or railroad and the length of frontage shall be in accordance with dimensions shown on the map from the property lines of streets, highways or railroad right-of-way unless otherwise indicated.

Where a district boundary line divides a lot in single ownership, the regulations for either portion of the lot may, in the City's discretion, extend over the entire lot.