Description
A comprehensive introduction to the review process for citizens. Students, commissioners, and other participants in development review can use the book as a guide to the components of site plans and the goals of their review. The authors developed the book for use in northern New England, but many of its principles are applicable across the country.
A practical companion to existing legal, regulatory, and procedural manuals,
Site Plan and Development Review focuses on the basic information necessary for reviewers to understand what the plans convey and what the accompanying documentation and studies mean.
With illustrations, checklists, and tales from the trenches, the environmental impacts of development are detailed. The environmental impacts discussed are air quality, noise, soils, septic systems, water, erosion, traffic, municipal services, aesthetics, historical and archaeological resources, plants, wildlife, energy, forestry, agriculture, and coastal development.
Table of Contents
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Part One: Concepts and Processes
1. Introduction to the review of site and development plans
Brief chronology of development plan review • Approaches to development plan review • Social and cultural influences in development plan review
2. Selection and review of site location
Choosing the site • Site analysis • Site location • Patterns of sprawl development
3. The development plan
What should be on the development plan? • Specialized plans • Guide principles for reviewing the development plan
Part Two: Common categories of impact
4. Air Quality
Evaluating indoor air quality
5. Noise Impacts
Standards and interpretation • Assessment of noise impacts in development applications • Evaluating a noise impact study • Ensuring that noise levels will be acceptable
6. Soils and septic systems
Soil resources and soil suitability
7. Water resources
Surface waters • Principal types of surface water • Principal types of surface water • Groundwater • Identification and protection of aquifer recharge areas
8. Soil erosion and stormwater management
Soils and erosion control • Stormwater management
9. Traffic
Terms and concepts • The traffic study
10. Municipal services
Departmental review • Mitigation of burdens
11. Aesthetics
Visual impact assessment • Visual elements • Visual screening • How states and municipalities address aesthetics • Landscape plans • Signs • Structure ddrawings and building elevations • Exterior lighting • A scenic resource evaluation process
12. Cultural resources
Confidentiality and site location • Archaeological and historical resource management
13. Plants and wildlife
Plants • Wildlife • Corridors and critical mass
14. Energy
Energy concepts and terms • Factors for energy-efficient site design • Energy codes • Sample energy standards • Similarities and differences in energy codes and review in the three northern New England states
15. Forestry and agriculture
Agricultural and forestland protection • Vermont's Act 250 review of agricultural and forestry soils • Local protection of farming and forestry
16. Coastal areas
Common types of coastal environments • Coastal hazards and shoreline change • Public access to coastal areas • Aquaculture • Islands
Glossary
Bibliography and internet references
Index
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