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that sidewalks were required along all major roadways and collec- <br />tor streets and within all higher density residential subdi- <br />visions. Most responding counties also required sidewalks along <br />local roads within or adjacent to commercial and industrial <br />subdivisions and sites. However, of the seven counties, six also <br />provided for waivers or exemptions for sidewalks along local roads <br />adjacent to commercial or industrial developments. <br />Although most of the counties allowed waivers or exemptions at <br />either the staff or planning commission level, exemption criteria <br />were either non-existent or vague with the exception of the <br />Broward County code. The Broward code allowed waivers in essen- <br />tially two cases: where no significant pedestrian traffic would be <br />generated or where a development would be isolated from other <br />sidewalk segments. <br />. Analysis <br />Requiring sidewalks along Thoroughfare Plan roadways and within <br />higher density residential projects and subdivisions is necessary <br />to provide a comprehensive and useable sidewalk system. Such a <br />system has transportation, safety, and recreation benefits long <br />recognized by the County as desirable. The desirability and <br />necessity of this system for an urbanizing county such as Indian <br />River County is reflected in current development regulations and <br />the draft Sidewalk/Bikeway Plan (currently under review). <br />However, current regulations do not allow exemptions in situations <br />where providing sidewalks along local roads through commercial or <br />industrial projects may have little benefit or where such <br />sidewalks would not become part of or enhance an overall sidewalk <br />system. In such situations where a sidewalk segment is not needed <br />to accommodate significant pedestrian traffic and where it is not <br />needed to become part of or enhance an existing or planned <br />sidewalk system, exemptions could be granted which would not <br />adversely affect the overall goal of safely handling pedestrian <br />traffic. Therefore, staff is now proposing amendments to allow <br />for exemptions under certain circumstances; <br />. Proposed Ordinance Revisions <br />Sidewalk requirements are found in two .sections of the zoning <br />code: Section 10(e) of the subdivision ordinance and Section <br />23.3(e)(5) of the site plan ordinance. The proposed ordinance <br />revisions provide for staff level exemptions for sidewalks along <br />local roads under certain conditions. <br />Section 1 <br />Section l amends subdivision sidewalk requirements to allow for an <br />exemption, granted by the community development director and the <br />public works director, from providing sidewalks along local roads <br />within or adjacent to commercial or industrial development where: <br />a. low pedestrian traffic will be generated, or <br />b. a nearby sidewalk system can handle pedestrian traffic <br />to and from the project, or <br />C. the project uses or traffic characteristics are incom- <br />patible with pedestrian traffic, or <br />d. sidewalks could not be connected to an existing or <br />planned pedestrian system, or <br />e. the developer can provide an acceptable alternate <br />pedestrian traffic improvement. <br />Staff exemption request decisions would be appealable to the <br />Planning and Zoning Commission and ultimately to the Board of <br />County Commissioners. <br />64 c� <br />AUG 2 �9�� BOOK 73 F IuG 56( <br />