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• within the Urban Service Area. In such locations school sites can serve as a transition between urban and rural areas. The proposed retreat use, however, is a type of use that cannot fit into a rural area if the retreat project does not retain a rural character on site. It is staff's opinion that the proposed use is too intense to be located outside the urban service area on a parcel of this size. In staff's opinion, the proposed use should either be located on a much larger site that is further outside the urban service area (in a remote location) or be located inside the urban service area on commercial acreage as a lodging, resort, or convention facility use, where the project can be connected to water, sewer, paved roads, and have fire protection facilities supported by a public water system. C. The Board must determine whether or not the application satisfies the general and specific criteria required for special exception use approval. Note: The general criteria for special exception uses relate to consistency with the comprehensive plan and zoning code; compatibility with surrounding land uses; avoidance of adverse impacts on public health, safety, and the general welfare; and promotion of an orderly development pattern. It is staff's opinion that a development of this intensity at this location is not consistent with the rural characteristics of the Ag -1 land use area. In addition to being too intense for the subject site, the proposed site plan design spreads out the proposed buildings and their impacts over a majority of the site in a manner that depreciates the rural character of the site and introduces an urban type of use against surrounding rural areas to the north, west, and south. As proposed, much of the open space on site will be active play fields (southeast quadrant of the site) or areas that merely separate individual buildings on the site. Such open space does not retain a rural character. In addition, the project extends a use with the previously described non -rural characteristics deeper into an agricultural area. Such an extension blurs the urban service boundary and detracts from an orderly development pattern. If the site were to be developed residentially, no more than three separate single- family parcels could be created. The impact of the proposed development will be much greater than three single family homes with regard to compatibility and character of the area. Although staff acknowledges the admirable social services that the proposed facility would provide, it is the staff's position that the development is proposed in the wrong place and on a site too small for the intensity proposed. 18. Specific Land Use Criteria for Retreats and Camps (971.40(11). The specific criteria for the proposed retreat are addressed as follows: 1. A site plan meeting all of the requirements of Chapter 914, which shows: a. All building, camping and recreation facilities and areas and distances to all property boundaries; b. Location, width, composition and a cross-section of all buffer areas; November 5, 2002 • 76