Planning Overview

When we gather together on the land, we form a community, and we change the land. We use its resources. We erect buildings for shelter and create systems for moving our products and ourselves. We make these changes to the land so that our community will meet our needs for living, working and playing. When we think ahead about making these changes, we are planning. We look into the future, project our needs and create a vision of the community we want. With this vision in mind, we devise strategies to guide our daily actions toward making that vision real.

LONG-RANGE PLANNING focuses on big plans, those that will take several years to make real. These include comprehensive and transportation planning, as well as overall plans for particular neighborhoods and small areas.

Comprehensive Planning. The Comprehensive Plan for Owensboro, Whitesville, and Daviess County is the main guide for managing and coordinating public and private development activities in our community. In the comprehensive planning process, OMPC staff members analyze trends in population, the economy and land-use, compare these trends with community goals and objectives, and assist the OMPC in establishing land development policies. All of these elements are brought together into a land use plan that is coordinated with specialized plans for roads, utilities, parks and other necessary public facilities.

The Comprehensive Plan is reviewed every five years in accordance with Kentucky Revised Statutes. The current Comprehensive Plan for Owensboro, Whitesville, and Daviess County, adopted in January of 2007, carries forward the principal policy established in 1979 in the plan known as Community Directions: to concentrate urban development in planned growth areas. The plan includes a sophisticated and flexible land use plan. A colored map delineates 12 basic types of "plan areas" -- urban residential, industrial, business, etc. Whether a particular use is appropriate within a particular plan area is determined by a set of criteria that address impact on the environment, need for urban services, and desired development patterns.

Transportation Planning involves maintaining a current plan to meet projected traffic needs for the Owensboro Urban Service Area. The Green River Area Development District heads the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for transportation for our community. OMPC staff work closely with the MPO on transportation studies, providing data on land use and demographics, monitoring consistency with land use plans and proposed subdivision plats, and in updating the functional classification of streets.

Among the many projects over the past years, OMPC staff members were involved in the restudy of alignments for the Wendell Ford Expressway Extension (US 60 Bypass) and the East Byers Avenue extension, as well as plans for the reconstruction of 9th Street. The OMPC has worked with developers to extend Byers Avenue and East 26th Street in the Heartland subdivision and Fairview Drive in The Downs.

Neighborhood & Small Area Planninginvolves devising special plans as needed for neighborhoods or smaller areas to guide orderly new development or redevelopment, or to enhance the appearance of public facilities such as major street corridors. In the small-area planning process, the OMPC collects physical, social and economic data, analyzes the data, works with neighborhood representatives to establish objectives, and creates proposals and recommendations to achieve the established objectives.

Small area planning has focused on the improvement of inner-city neighborhoods and the revitalization of Downtown Owensboro. Downtown projects have included a parking needs study, streetscape improvements for 1st Street (now Veterans Blvd.) and 2nd Street, the RiverPark Center, Downtown Parking Garage, Downtown Design Guidelines, Proposed Arena Study, Proposed Baseball Stadium Study , Zuchelli-Hunter Downtown Plan, and the Owensboro Riverfront Master Plan. Since the mid 1980s, small area planning also has addressed improvements for urban arterial corridors and neighborhood design schemes for new areas, such as the Mid-America AirPark, Lake Forest, Bon Harbor, The Downs, Heartland and Heritage Park subdivisions.

SHORT-RANGE PLANNING focuses on the tools used to implement long-range plans. Those tools are the regulations and policies applicable to proposed development, including zoning and subdivision regulations, public improvement specifications, street access management policies, and development review forms. The OMPC seeks to maintain up-to-date regulations and policies. To this end, the staff monitors several publications for techniques used elsewhere that may be adapted to address local needs.

Zoning. The Zoning Ordinance regulates public and private land use in accordance with the guidelines established in the comprehensive plan. There are three principal staff activities: answering daily questions about zoning; reviewing and writing recommendations for proposed zoning map amendments (rezonings), and drafting amendments to the zoning ordinance text as needed. Proposed changes must be considered by the planning commission and approved by the appropriate legislative bodies.

From 1980 through 2006, the OMPC considered 1090 zoning change applications, an average of 42 per year. Since 1990, amendments to the zoning ordinance text have included:

·  Provisions for body shops as conditional uses in business zones in unincorporated areas of Daviess County

·  Retail parking reductions in large shopping centers and reduction of paving requirements for particular large vehicle sales lots and for all uses in agricultural zones

·  Updates to flood plain regulations to accommodate small expansions of existing uses in floodways

·  Landscaping reductions in unincorporated areas and city parking areas under 30,000 square feet in size

·  Provisions for residential bed and breakfast homes

·  Provisions for individual storage uses (mini-warehouses) as conditional uses in business zones in unincorporated areas of Daviess County

·  Provisions for landscaping services as principal uses in A-R, I-1 and I-2, as conditional uses in A-U zones, and as accessory uses to retail plant nurseries in B-3 and B-4 zones

·  Amendments to sign regulations to allow business and professional signs to include electronic messages that display in conformance with updated state standards.

·  Complete review of the Zoning Ordinance in 2003 resulting in greater conformance between Daviess County and City of Owensboro requirements, changes to maintain compliance with KRS requirements, increase in minimum lot size when served by septic system ,extension of interior landscaping requirements to include the Urban Service Area, reduction in the number of temporary signs allowed, increase in maximum lot coverage, clarifications in permitted uses as well as other minor changes.

·  Amendments to include an overlay district for the Veterans Boulevard District encouraging uses that will enhance Riverfront Development.

·  Amendments to the sign regulations to provide for banners projecting over right-of-way in the Central Business District.

·  Amendments to provide standards for conditionally permitted group housing.

· Amendments to reduce the parking space requirements for retail and home improvement uses.

In March 1997, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued a revised flood study and Flood Insurance Rate Maps for Owensboro-Daviess County. FEMA's flood study and maps are the basis for local flood zoning under the National Flood Insurance Program. Staff participated in determining the priorities for the restudy, the highest of which was to provide more detail for the problematic "A0 zones."

Subdivision. The Subdivision Regulations require appropriate-sized building lots and adequate distribution of public facilities to service those lots. Staff reviews subdivision plats for consistency with neighborhood plans, transportation plans and policies, and adopted regulations. Major subdivisions go before the planning commission for final approval. Regulations are amended by the OMPC when necessary. In January 1998, the OMPC adopted new water supply and fire protection requirements that apply to all multi-lot subdivisions countywide.

The OMPC estimates that in the twenty-four years from 1980 through 2004, over 8,500 new lots have been created in Owensboro-Daviess County. All of these will have been reviewed and approved by the OMPC. In 2005, the Subdivision Regulations were amended to include criteria for subdivisions to be submitted to the OMPC in digital format.

Public Improvements. The Public Improvement Specifications set minimum design and construction standards for streets, waterlines, sewers, and other necessary public facilities in new subdivisions. In coordination with the planning staff, the city and county engineers review development proposals for consistency with the adopted specifications.

In 1986, planning staff promoted the testing of an alternative to the "roll" curb-and-gutter that has been used locally for many years. The "valley" curb is designed to allow smoother vehicular access to residential driveways. It was hoped that such a design would discourage the unauthorized but common practice of makeshift driveway ramps that are unsightly and disrupt street drainage. The valley curb has proven successful and is now commonly used. Another benefit: it uses less material than the older roll curb.

In 2002, after careful review and input from the Public Improvements Specifications Committee comprised of local engineers, developers, and local government engineers, a revised Public Improvements Specifications document was adopted.

Street Access Management standards and policies have been adopted by the local transportation planning organization and by the OMPC, to manage vehicular access to major streets in the Owensboro Urban Service Area. The standards and policies were updated in 1991 and incorporated into the revised comprehensive plan and land use regulations. Planning staff applies the access policies to proposed subdivision plats and development plans, and coordinates with local and state permit agencies regarding access changes to existing properties.

Development Review Forms. Maintained by the staff, these forms describe the procedures, fees and required materials for submission and approval of zoning and subdivision applications. The staff updates the forms continuously, which assures thorough and timely review of submitted items by the staff and planning commission.

INFORMATION SYSTEMS are maintained that are integral to the planning process and support various OMPC activities. These systems include mapping, data processing, demographics, street addressing, document files, and a library.

Mapping. The staff maintains current information on countywide base maps, including streets and natural physical features, topography, and property lines. Overlays to the base maps show zoning, street addresses, city limits, etc. Appropriate maps from coordinating agencies are kept on file. Drafting activity monitors subdivision plats, zoning changes, neighborhood plans, municipal annexations, assigned addresses, etc. Special maps are produced as needed for OMPC projects.

Currently, all physical mapping data is either transferred or in the process of being transferred to a computerized GIS database. The transfer of all mapping data to a GIS database will provide several benefits for the community, including improved sharing of data between agencies, a non-degenerative form of data, and more readily available, dynamic, distributable and presentable information.

Data Processing. Since 1975, the OMPC has maintained the computerized Land Use File database (LUF) for every parcel of land within the Urban Service Area, with information on zoning, building condition, street addresses, dwelling-unit count, land use, parcel acreage, neighborhood location, municipal status, update activity type and date, land use plan designation, flood plain, etc . From 1993 to 2002, additional computerized data was produced via Transfile, a relational database application for issuing building permits and tracking land use activity. Beginning in 2002, Transfile was replaced by an Accela software product, Tidemark Advantage. Advantage is a much more advanced relational database application that tracks permitting, land use activity, and a variety of other building and planning data. OMPC also has a Library File.

Over the last several years, the office has evolved from using computers for word processing and spreadsheets to utilizing a completely automated workflow and making information available via the OMPC website, www.iompc.org. Accela software products have pushed the OMPC automated system forward by providing an advanced permitting application, land use tracking capabilities, a wireless reporting system, a computerized cashiering method, and vastly improved reporting abilities. A variety of databases are also in use, such as the SQL Database that runs the automated Accela software products, an OMPC Master Street Address Guide, and an address index to OMPC maps. The website has become critical as well, providing organizational info, making maps/data readily available, and acting as a hub for receiving a variety of planning information.

One goal has been to expand the LUF and other databases to cover all of Daviess County and to integrate a broader range of data, with the final development being a fully integrated and accessible computerized Geographic Information System. The GIS links automated maps with tabular databases, allowing graphic depiction and manipulation of a variety of parcel-based information. As was mentioned in the previous Mapping section, a multi-agency GIS is under development that allows the OMPC, PVA, City, County, RWRA, and OMU departments to share maps and data, with each agency already utilizing GIS data as critical components of their everyday functions.

Demographics. The staff monitors demographic statistics from a variety of sources, and makes available via www.iompc.org any population studies done in-house in conjunction with special projects. The staff reviews Census Bureau, State Data Center and other sources for statistics or planned activities affecting the Owensboro Metropolitan Statistical Area ( Daviess County). Accela software products have made data production and reporting capabilities for demographics quite robust. Concerned local agencies are involved through the local Census Statistical Areas Committee, and a staff member serves as the local Census Key Person.

Staff has been involved extensively in the censuses of 1980, 1990 and 2000. Activities include revising Census Tract boundaries and reviewing pre-Census and post-Census housing counts by block, to assure Census accuracy. Census information can be found at www.iompc.org.

Street Addressing. Staff assigns all street addresses in Daviess County, and in small areas of adjoining counties served by post offices in Daviess County. The staff coordinates addresses with in-house records, the U. S. Postal Service, the Daviess County PVA, and other agencies. Assigned numbers are recorded on OMPC address-grid map overlays and in computer databases. The staff routinely assigns addresses to all parcel-based activity reviewed by the office -- zoning, subdivisions, building permits, etc. An addressing system is currently under development in the new GIS as the physical map overlays are scheduled for retirement in the near future. Accela software products are also integral to OMPC addressing systems as addressing, land use tracking, and permitting are central components of OMPC responsibilities. The E911 Master Street Address Guide, which is integral to the emergency dispatch system, is kept current through ongoing staff correspondence with BellSouth agents and Intrado’s E911 update website, www.9-1-1net.com.

When address changes become necessary due to changes in official street names or to correct out-of-sync numbers, OMPC staff notifies affected occupants, utilities and other governmental agencies. Recent reassignments were made to what was previously sections of W 5 th Street RD and W 6 th ST and what is now Cravens AV in Owensboro.

Document Files. Staff maintains orderly and easily accessible document files on zoning and subdivision activity. All items to be filed are placed in manila folders with color-coded identification labels that depict the street address, map number, and other pertinent information. After an item has been processed, it is filed by street address or by map number as appropriate. Accela software products and the new computerized GIS also provide a method of recording information on zoning and subdivision activity digitally in relational SQL Databases.

Library.  The staff catalogs, labels, and files new publications in the OMPC Library. Unclassified items are accumulated until there are several. Each item is classified, numbered, and filed; a catalog card is created and the computerized library database is updated. Periodicals are simply filed by title. The library is maintained for internal use, but the public may arrange to use library resources.

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