CLARKSVILLE — The Town of Clarksville wants to adopt a more hands-on zoning code for South Clarksville to carry out its redevelopment plan for the area.
Instead of the use-based code that the town uses to control developments in the majority of its jurisdiction, which focuses more on what types of businesses to allow in an area, Clarksville wants to implement a form-based code in the majority of South Clarksville, which focuses more on the physical components of buildings allowed in an area.
Essentially, a form-based code includes more specific requirements for what buildings will look like in a certain area, taking into account building height, material and proximity to the street than a use-based code will. Use requirements, such as residential and neighborhood retail, are still a part of a form-based code, but they’re boiled down into a list of simpler categories. Leslie Oberholtz, the director of planning at the firm Clarksville has hired to create its new Clark’s Landing Mixed Use area zoning code, CodaMetrics, described form-based code as a “fine grain, human scale” approach.
Form-based codes have become more popular recently, said Jacob Arbital, Clarksville’s director of planning at a public meeting on Thursday, introducing the concept to Clarksville residents. He thinks that if Clarksville adopts one in Clark’s Landing, the town will have more success with implementing the quality of place Clarksville outlined within its South Clarksville Redevelopment Plan.
The redevelopment plan was adopted in 2016 and crafted a vision for the 320-acre South Clarksville area from the Ohio River to Stansifer Avenue. It visualizes a Clarksville with a developed waterfront featuring public gathering spaces, walkable streets, bicycle trails, shopping, dining and entertainment venues.
But the plan is just an idea.
“…The zoning ordinance is what allows us to achieve the South Clarksville Redevelopment plan,” Arbital said.
Clarksville is also working on developing a streets plan for Clark’s Landing and a few other streets in the South Clarksville area that could translate to narrower roads, sidewalks, and safer crossings for pedestrians.
CodaMetrics, whose contract with Clarksville is not to exceed $50,000, is currently reviewing and analyzing the town and its planning documents to come up with a draft of the form-based code. There will be opportunities for the public to weigh in on the proposal in July, and the town hopes to adopt the code by August.
One Clarksville resident, Greg Johnson, questioned at Thursday’s meeting whether the form-based code will be too restrictive for developers.
“It’s difficult to see how that can draw in a lot of people, being so specific,” he said.
In a form-based code, the municipality first identifies the different kinds of building types it wants to see in its jurisdiction. Those types will be defined with illustrations and include requirements for how different parts of it should look, such as the building’s facade and roof — even going so far as to define what uses various building floors can have. Then, the local government creates a plan showing where its building types should occur. The map is more detailed than a typical zoning code, with several types of buildings for what would usually be one large use area.
The municipality, or in this case, Clarksville, should still be able to build some flexibility into its code, but a flexibility that’s defined, according to Oberholtz. For example, the code should list all of the different types of building materials that a building type can use. As for developers who don’t want to comply with the code at all, the town could set up a process for them to have their exceptions approved — possibly through a design review committee or the town council. Oberholtz doesn’t usually recommend that.
A form-based plan can seem restrictive, but Oberholtz argues that it can actually benefit businesses.
“Developers like to understand what it is you want them to do,” she said.
Sometimes, if a code is unclear, they could spend money creating a development that ultimately has to be changed. That happened recently in Clarksville, Arbital said. The town and a trailer company tussled over what kind of material the business could use on its facade.
“Of course, that was more time on the developer, more frustration,” Arbital said. “We ended up coming to an agreement that we were all happy with, but it did prolong the process and it was more time and more effort.”
Plus, as expressed by Clarksville Town Council President Paul Fetter, the code could attract a higher-quality type of investment to the town.