ZONING EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION - ANSWER-Required to issue
recommendations in matters of zoning. Recommendations are made to governing body
like City Council or County Commissioners. In some cases, the PC renders final
approval.
Made up of community residents or business owners. Members are appointed by the
governing body.
Read staff reports, visit sites prior to meetings, and come prepared to participate in
discussions with applicants at PC meetings.
Should think long-term, for instance, while rezoning a parcel for a specific proposed use
may not seem to impact an area significantly, once a zone change is made, a property
may be used for ANY allowable use in that zoning district.
BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS - ANSWER-AKA the Board of Zoning Adjustment or
Zoning Board of Adjustment - is a quasi-judicial board that hears cases for variances,
special exceptions to the zoning ordinance, and appeals of staff's administration of the
zoning ordinance.
Governing body appoints members to the board who volunteer their time like PC.
CITY COUNCIL (COUNTY COMMISSION) - ANSWER-The governing body of a city
often has the final say on zoning issues.
PC makes recommendations on zoning cases to CC. The CC is then charged with
making the final decision on whether to approve or disapprove a case.
IN ORDER FOR A COMMUNITY TO ADOPT ZONING, TWO SEPARATE
DOCUMENTS MUST BE CREATED - ANSWER-1. The zoning text
2. Zoning map
ZONING MAP - ANSWER-Color-coded map that shows which types of land uses are
allowable and where.
Generally a detailed city map overlaid with various colors/patterns depicting the type of
zoning for each property.
, FLOOR AREA RATIO (FAR) - ANSWER-The ratio of a building's total floor area (gross)
to the size of the piece of land upon which is built. FAR is most frequently used in
downtown areas to help control light and air. A FAR of 0.1 would mean that on a 10,000
sq. ft. lot the building could have no more than 1,000 sq. ft.
MAXIMUM PARKING STANDARDS - ANSWER-An alternative to the conventional
minimum parking standards that most communities have. Maximum parking standards
cap the amount of parking that a property owner or business can provide.
This addresses the problem of providing excessive impervious cover and undermining
pedestrial quality.
For example, some retailers provide enough parking for their busiest days of the year,
leaving an empty parking lot for the rest of the year.
Donald Shoup's "The High Cost of Free Parking" showed that 99% of parking in the
U.S. is free, despite the negative impact.
McMansion - ANSWER-A term that describes large houses that are mass produced and
have perceived negative impacts on a community, sometimes because they are out of
scale with the surrounding homes.
PARACHUTE HOME - ANSWER-Describes a scenario where a home is dropped
(almost randomly) into an area where it clearly does not fit with the neighborhood's
character.
TEARDOWN - ANSWER-Term that refers to the demolition of a home for the purposes
of building a large home on the same lot.
This type of development frequently occurs in large cities and in neighborhoods
convenient to employment centers.
ZONING - ANSWER-The separation of land uses or functions into separate districts or
"zones."
Zoning is implemented through locally enacted legislation that regulates and controls
the use of private property.
PURPOSES OF ZONING - ANSWER-To regulate land use, prevent land use conflicts,
and allow growth in a planner manner.
It also does the following:
1. Protect and maintain property values;
2. Promote public health and safety;
ANSWERS
PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION - ANSWER-Required to issue
recommendations in matters of zoning. Recommendations are made to governing body
like City Council or County Commissioners. In some cases, the PC renders final
approval.
Made up of community residents or business owners. Members are appointed by the
governing body.
Read staff reports, visit sites prior to meetings, and come prepared to participate in
discussions with applicants at PC meetings.
Should think long-term, for instance, while rezoning a parcel for a specific proposed use
may not seem to impact an area significantly, once a zone change is made, a property
may be used for ANY allowable use in that zoning district.
BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS - ANSWER-AKA the Board of Zoning Adjustment or
Zoning Board of Adjustment - is a quasi-judicial board that hears cases for variances,
special exceptions to the zoning ordinance, and appeals of staff's administration of the
zoning ordinance.
Governing body appoints members to the board who volunteer their time like PC.
CITY COUNCIL (COUNTY COMMISSION) - ANSWER-The governing body of a city
often has the final say on zoning issues.
PC makes recommendations on zoning cases to CC. The CC is then charged with
making the final decision on whether to approve or disapprove a case.
IN ORDER FOR A COMMUNITY TO ADOPT ZONING, TWO SEPARATE
DOCUMENTS MUST BE CREATED - ANSWER-1. The zoning text
2. Zoning map
ZONING MAP - ANSWER-Color-coded map that shows which types of land uses are
allowable and where.
Generally a detailed city map overlaid with various colors/patterns depicting the type of
zoning for each property.
, FLOOR AREA RATIO (FAR) - ANSWER-The ratio of a building's total floor area (gross)
to the size of the piece of land upon which is built. FAR is most frequently used in
downtown areas to help control light and air. A FAR of 0.1 would mean that on a 10,000
sq. ft. lot the building could have no more than 1,000 sq. ft.
MAXIMUM PARKING STANDARDS - ANSWER-An alternative to the conventional
minimum parking standards that most communities have. Maximum parking standards
cap the amount of parking that a property owner or business can provide.
This addresses the problem of providing excessive impervious cover and undermining
pedestrial quality.
For example, some retailers provide enough parking for their busiest days of the year,
leaving an empty parking lot for the rest of the year.
Donald Shoup's "The High Cost of Free Parking" showed that 99% of parking in the
U.S. is free, despite the negative impact.
McMansion - ANSWER-A term that describes large houses that are mass produced and
have perceived negative impacts on a community, sometimes because they are out of
scale with the surrounding homes.
PARACHUTE HOME - ANSWER-Describes a scenario where a home is dropped
(almost randomly) into an area where it clearly does not fit with the neighborhood's
character.
TEARDOWN - ANSWER-Term that refers to the demolition of a home for the purposes
of building a large home on the same lot.
This type of development frequently occurs in large cities and in neighborhoods
convenient to employment centers.
ZONING - ANSWER-The separation of land uses or functions into separate districts or
"zones."
Zoning is implemented through locally enacted legislation that regulates and controls
the use of private property.
PURPOSES OF ZONING - ANSWER-To regulate land use, prevent land use conflicts,
and allow growth in a planner manner.
It also does the following:
1. Protect and maintain property values;
2. Promote public health and safety;
