10/14/1999 - Laserfiche WebLink

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F, Historically, residential land within the urban service area has developed at a density significantly less than the maximum allowed by the comprehensive plan. This is due to several factors including market preferences, and land set aside for non-residential uses. Such uses are usually recreational (e.g., golf courses and parks), institutional (e.& places of worship, schools, and public facilities), conservation, or infrastructure (e.g., roads and stormwater management tracts). By applying existing density levels to vacant residential land within the urban service area, the build- out threshold, in terms of number of residential units, of the urban service area can be determined. Using recent annual residential building permit information, staff determined that the urban service area will likely become built -out sometime between 2035 -and 2045. Build -out could occur even sooner if the rate of growth increases. Reviewing land absorption trends is also useful for evaluating future land use needs. According to Indian River County Property Appraiser's data, the number of acres of land classified as vacant residential within the urban service area has decreased 1,242 acres (approximately 400 acres/year), from 18,220 acres in August 1996 to 16,978 acres in September 1999. If that absorption rate and the amount of land within the urban service area remain constant, then the county has an approximately 40 year supply of undeveloped residential land within the urban service area. When considering the long tern development of the county, the Board of County Commissioners must consider how the county will grow beyond the year 2020, when the current urban service area approaches build -out. As part of that consideration, the following issues should be addressed: • Is agricultural preservation important? • Should the county promote agricultural preservation? • Does clustering promote agricultural preservation? • How should the agriculturally designated area of the county develop? • Under what conditions, if any, should the urban service area be expanded? • Should the county begin planning now for potential future urban service area expansion? Agriculture is a key component of the county's economy, history, and character. County Property Appraiser's data from August 1996 indicate that 182,454 acres of the county were used for agricultural purposes at that time. Citrus accounted for 81,484 of those acres. Although market conditions ultimately will determine the viability of agriculture in Indian River County, particularly east of I-95, one purpose of clustering is to protect and conserve agriculturally designated lands for agricultural uses. As generally implemented, clustering protects agriculture by restricting the amount of land within Agricultural PDs that can be used for residential purposes and by limiting uses on the remaining land to agriculture, open space, and limited recreational uses. As structured, the county's clustering requirement allows (but does not require) the open space area of an agricultural PD to be owned by a single entity such as the developer, a property owners' association, or a farmer. As a result, most of the land within an Agricultural PD project can be consolidated into an expansive open space area that is large enough for, and available for, agricultural uses. For example, in Indian River County, most of the land outside of but abutting the urban service area has been divided into 40 acre tracts. While some of those 40 acre tracts have been split or subdivided, many others remain intact. The residential density assigned to most of that land by the comprehensive plan is 1 unit/5 acres. Therefore, eight lots can be created on those 40 acres. Clustering those eight lots on eight contiguous acres (one acre lots) leaves 32 acres available for agricultural uses. Clustering them on four contiguous acres (half acre lots) leaves 36 acres available for agricultural uses. 0 OCTOBER 14, 1999 -18 0 -