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mor., MAR 8 1994 zoning is not inconsistent with Future Land Use Element objective 5 and Policy 5.3. - Economic Development Element Policy 1.4 Economic Development Policy 1.4 states that the county shall promote the growth of businesses which provide skilled and semi- skilled jobs with salaries higher than minimum wage. The proposed zoning will increase the number of professional office sites within the county. This will facilitate the location of doctors, lawyers, architects, engineers, accountants, financial advisors, and other consultants within the county. The promotion of these businesses, which often create higher paying jobs, is consistent with Economic Development Element Policy 1.4. As part of the staff analysis, all policies in the comprehensive plan were considered. Based on this analysis, staff determined that the proposed zoning district is generally consistent with the comprehensive plan. Compatibility with the Surroundina Area As situated, the subject property is bordered on three sides by residentially zoned property. To the south, across 17th Street is the Rockridge Subdivision of single-family homes. This is the area that would be most impacted by development of the subject property. There are, however, several factors that somewhat mitigate potential impacts that could be associated with this request. The first involves the characteristics of the existing RM -10 district and the requested PRO district. The PRO district was created for, and intended to be compatible with, areas designated as residential by the county's comprehensive plan. In fact, the PRO district is one of only two commercial zoning districts allowed in areas with residential land use designations. Because no retail sales are permitted in the PRO district, there will be fewer trucks, less activity, reduced hours of operation, and generally fewer impacts from PRO uses than would occur with general commercial uses. In terms of allowable uses, PRO is the county's least intense and most restrictive commercial zoning district. In contrast, the subject property and the land abutting the subject property on the north, south, and west, are currently zoned RM -10, which is the most intense of the county's residential zoning districts. If the subject property where rezoned to PRO, the most intense residential district would border the least intense commercial district. Therefore, in terms of land use intensity and impacts generated, the request is for the smallest possible increase. Additionally, physical separation and buffers will reduce the impacts of development on the subject property. Office development on the subject property would have to maintain 20 foot side yard setbacks and provide a type D vegetative buffer with a three foot opaque feature along the west property line. With respect to the Rockridge Subdivision, there is greater physical separation. The 100 foot right-of-way of 17th Street, combined with the required 25 foot front yard setbacks of both the PRO and R14-10 districts, ensure that there will be at least 150 feet between any structure on the subject property and any home in the Rockridge subdivision. For these reasons, the subject request would cause minimal impacts on surrounding property. Potential Impact on Environmental Quality Staff's position is that the proposed zoning change would have no significant adverse impacts on the environmental quality of the subject_ property, since no native uplands or wetlands exist on site. In accordance with Land Development Regulation Chapter 929, all nuisance exotic vegetation will have to be removed in conjunction with any site development. Native oak trees existing on site will be subject to protection as regulated under Chapter 927, Tree Protection and Land Clearing. 40