Protection of The Unique Characteristics and Rural Environment of Rolling Hills

By Leah Mirsch

Planning and Development Policies and Decisions Should Support Our City's General Plan and Focus on Our Unique Environment.

Your Planning Commission and City Council use the General Plan and the city's ordinances to make findings when deciding on issues of new construction, remodels, additions, sub-divisions etc. The rules in place are there to protect us from becoming just another nice, prosperous community. Criteria for maximun lot and pad coverages, grading limitations, setbacks, impacts on neighboring properties and many more are there to support the characteristics identified in our General Plan.

Projects that comply with our ordinances and do not require granting of any variances are reviewed by the Commission. The review normally consists of a site visit and a public meeting to determine compliance and to determine if other issues of concern exist prior to approval. Again, if no variances are requested, this is a pretty straight-forward process.

When variances are requested, the situation is more complex, and applicants may feel the approval process is too cumbersome or "unfair". Since no two lots in the city are identical, different projects present different challenges and possible solutions. The Commission and City Council should consider any special circumstances of a particular project and determine if a requested variance is warranted, based on specific findings for that property.

When making a decision to stray from an ordinance the Commission and Council have a strong obligation to ensure that the granting of a variance does not detract from the city's environment or unduly affect a neighbor. When variances are requested this review process can result in several hearings and suggestions to the applicant to modify plans for resubmission, or even a denial of the project.

I believe this process has served our city well and is vital in preserving the "feel" of the community and our property values. When I hear suggestions to "streamline" or "reduce community involvement" in the planning process I can't help but wonder how different Rolling Hills would be today - and in the future - if these processes, reviews and community involvement were not in place.