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I . Increase the staff -level approval threshold to 150,000 square feet of new impervious surface. (Proposed amendment) 2. Change the proposed 150,000 sq. ft. of new imperyious surface area threshold to a new number (hiuher or lower). 3. Change the threshold to a building area standard. 4. Limit the threshold increase to target industries to provide a special incentive that would apply to target industry projects only. 5. Increase the threshold to include all permitted uses, including residential multi -family projects. ` 6. Leave the staff -level approval thresholds as they are. By increasing the threshold for staff level approval of non-residential development projects, the project approval process timeframe can be reduced by approximately two weeks. The principal effect of making such a change would be to speed up the approval process for non-residential projects. A secondary impact would be to reduce the quantity of the site plan projects reviewed by the PZC. While the PZC would review fewer non- residential permitted use projects under such a change, that should not affect the substance of the development approval process because the PZC's decision on such projects is not discretionary. According to law, an application must be approved if it meets all applicable regulations, and it is staff's responsibility to review projects for consistency with adopted regulations. If the proposed LDR amendment is approved, the PZC could then focus more on important policy issues such as reviewing comprehensive plan amendments, considering Land Development Regulation changes, setting development standards, reviewing planning development projects, and others. For the reasons stated above, staff supports the proposed amendment. As structured, the proposed amendment would address the issue of expediting the project approval process, but still set limits on staff level approval. With the 150,000 square foot threshold, most industrial projects could be staff approved, while exceptionally large projects will still be considered by the PZC. Also all residential projects will still be reviewed by PZC at a public meeting; this is important because residential projects generally attract more public interest than non-residential projects. Finally, the proposed amendment is the preferred alternative because it retains the current threshold measure of impervious surface. Impervious surface is a better measure than building area or acreage, because it better corresponds to a development's impacts than other measures do. Effect on Affordable Housing, Costs Per Policy 1.7 of the Housing Element of the Indian River County Comprehensive Plan, staff is required to prepare a Financial Impact Statement to assess the anticipated impact of a proposed regulation on the cost of housing. Because the proposed LDR amendment would affect non-residential projects only, there will be no impacts on housing cost. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Board of County Commissioners adopt the proposed LDR amendment to increase the thresholds for staff level approval of site plans for non- residential permitted use projects to 150,000 square feet of new impervious surface. ATTACHMENTS 1. Proposed LDR Amendment. 2. Draft Minutes from Public/Private Task Force 3. Minutes from the September 27, 2001 PSAC Meeting 4. Minutes from the September 27, 2001 PZC Meeting OCTOBER 23, 2001 -61-