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BOOK 108 PAGE G 7
<br />The 1995 ratio of population to acres of non-residential land use is used to estimate the amount of
<br />non-residential land needed to accommodate the 2020 population. This method assumes that the
<br />land use intensity of non-residential development will remain constant.
<br />Although the county's Comprehensive Plan limits residential development intensity, the plan has
<br />not directly limited the intensity of development for areas designated as commercial/industrial. Like
<br />most local governments, Indian River County uses density, usually reported in units/acre, as its
<br />measure of residential land use intensity. For measuring non-residential land use intensity, however,
<br />Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is the generally accepted standard. FAR is a measure of non-residential land
<br />use intensity expressed as the ratio of building floor space on a parcel to total parcel area. For
<br />example, a 10,000 square foot building on a 1 acre parcel has a.23 FAR (10,000/43,560 =.23). In
<br />such a case, a 5,000 square foot second story would increase the FAR to .34 (15,000/43,560 = .34).
<br />Just as density limits are usually incorporated in comprehensive plans or zoning district regulations
<br />to control residential development intensity, FAR limits are often established to control non-
<br />residential development intensity. Although the county has not had an established FAR in its
<br />Comprehensive Plan, non-residential land use intensity has been controlled in other ways. Through
<br />its land development regulations, the county has established standards for minimum open space,
<br />maximum building coverage, maximum building height, and minimum parking, as well as setback
<br />and stormwater management requirements. Together, these standards have effectively limited non-
<br />residential development intensity.
<br />Current state law, however, requires all local governments to adopt intensity standards in their
<br />comprehensive plans for all commercial/industrial land use designations. Those standards are
<br />implemented by applying a maximum allowed FAR to commercial/industrial development.
<br />Different commercial/industrial uses, however, have different impacts on public facilities and
<br />services, and on surrounding areas. For example, according to the Institute of Transportation
<br />Engineers (ITE), 1,000 square feet of retail uses, 6,000 square feet of general office uses and 14,000
<br />square feet of general industrial uses all generate 98 peak hour trips. Therefore, one FAR limit is
<br />not appropriate for all commercial/industrial uses. In fact, to equally limit the impacts of different
<br />uses, it is necessary to allow a greater FAR for general industrial uses than for office uses, and a
<br />greater FAR for office uses than for retail uses.
<br />Within Indian River County, most commercial and industrial developments generally have FAR's
<br />within the 0.1 to 0.2 range. The highest FAR is approximately 0.45, while the lowest FAR is
<br />approximately 0.07. Therefore, the county's land development regulations generally result in
<br />development occurring at an intensity of less than a 0.45 FAR.
<br />In order to project the maximum potential impact of commercial/industrial development on public
<br />facilities, the county has historically calculated the maximum development potential of
<br />commercial/industrial land as 10,000 square feet of retail per acre of land. That figure is based on
<br />analysis of two factors. One of those factors is county land development regulations that regulate
<br />land use intensity (e.g. minimum open space, maximum building coverage, maximum building
<br />height, minimum parking, setback and stormwater management requirements and others). The other
<br />factor is the impact generated on public facilities by particular uses. Through that analysis the
<br />county determined that the most intense commercial/industrial use allowed would be 10,000 square
<br />feet of retail development per acre of land. Therefore, any parcel whose public facilities can
<br />accommodate 10,000 square feet of retail development per acre of land can accommodate the most
<br />intense commercial/industrial use allowed.
<br />A maximum level of intensity equal to 10,000 square feet of retail per acre is consistent with the
<br />low-density, low-rise character of the county. One way to maintain that character while allowing
<br />for development is to limit the FAR of retail uses to 0.23, the FAR of office uses to 0.35, and the
<br />FAR of industrial uses to 0.50. Setting a three -tiered FAR limit recognizes the different impacts of
<br />different commercial/industrial uses. Those standards also ensure that the land use intensity of non-
<br />residential development will remain constant through 2020.
<br />According to the TntrodLctore Element, the effective population of unincorporated Indian River
<br />County was 77,859 in 1995. That element projects that the unincorporated county's effective
<br />Population will increase 59%, to 123,850 in 2020. Using that rate of increase and Property Appraiser
<br />data from 1995, it is possible to determine non-residential land use needs for 2020. Table 2.10
<br />provides that information.
<br />MARCH 16, 1999
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