The Planning Commission recommends approval of the Zoning Ordinance amendment dated February 4, 2005 to add R-2 Conservation Cluster Option regulations to Article 3, R-2 Residential-Single Family District Zoning regulations with the following recommendations:

1) Environmentally sensitive areas should be protected in the entire conservation cluster, not just the cluster area.

2) The ordinance allow for VDOT approved temporary construction entrances in conservation areas, provided it does not enter environmentally sensitive areas or the drip edge of heritage trees. The temporary construction entrance must be removed and restored prior to bond release.

3) Allowable development in the conservation area should be defined to include easements and facilities for storm water management and town gateway signage and monumentation.

4) Increase the front yard requirement from 5 feet to 8 feet for the courtyard design option.

5) The Density should not be increased for the conservancy lots. The conservancy lot is still part of the conservancy area, but does not allow the density to extend beyond the r-2 density of two per acre.

6) The Town council should look for a way to incentivize or encourage the use of residential fire sprinklers within in the conservation cluster.

7) The town council search for language to ensure that the protections noted in the conservation areas and conservation lots are indeed for "perpetuity."

8) Private access easements should be disallowed in the conservation area.

9) Include environmentally sensitive areas as a possible criteria for using the conservation cluster option. This is not a unanimous recommendation.

10) The easements on the conservation lot should be strengthened to include additional protections beyond subdivision, such as: clearing un-diseased trees, grading, altering the course of stream beds, and accessory structures.

Respectfully submitted,