I have the 275 page draft of the new Land Development Regulations on my desk and I’ve been thinking about how best to read this tome, how (as the Planning Commission liaison) to provide some concise policy guidance to the Council, how to ensure the regulations really do further the goals of the Comprehensive Plan, and how to write about the regulations here.

Unfortunately, this is a crucially important issue which does not lend itself well to little bloggy bites, but requires rather slow slogging through the big issues and the small details.

My plan for my own review looks something like this:

1. Identify new policy issues Council must consider (there are regulations for small wind turnbines in residential neighborhoods, and significant changes to the development review policy, for example).
2. Compare key provisions to Comprehensive Plan goals and objectives
3. Read for consistency and clarity
4. Check development review process for simplicity and predictability.

Slow and steady – I’d love to have this ordinance in place with hare-like speed, but slower more careful work is needed.