If your property is not zoned appropriately, you can apply for a rezone with the City Planning Office.

5. Compatible: Identical to pre-existing zoning districts or totally compatible. Development should be designed consistent with good planning practice.

4. Compatible, with Minor Conflict Potential: The new zoning district is generally compatible with the existing adjacent zoning district. Traffic from higher intensity districts should be directed away from lower intensity districts. Building elements and scale should be consistent with surrounding proposed and existing development. Examples include medium density residential proposed adjacent to low-density residential districts.

3. Potential Incompatibility: The new zoning district may have potential conflicts with existing adjacent zoning districts, which may be remedied or minimized through project design. Traffic, parking, and other external effects should be directed away from lower-intensity districts. Landscaping, bufferyards, screening, and compatible height and scale methods should be employed to minimize negative effects.

Examples include:

• High-density residential development proposed against lower density residential uses.

• Office and light commercial development against residential uses.

2. Medium Incompatibility: The new zoning district has significant conflicts with the existing adjacent zoning districts. Major effects must be mitigated to prevent impact on adjacent zoning districts. A significant bufferyard is required. Also, other buffers and screening, land-use transitions, and other external operational impacts should be considered. Also, include methods from Policy 7 in the “Transitions” section of Chapter 5: “Shape Places.”

Examples include:

• Community and general commercial development proposed against residential uses.

• Light industrial development proposed against residential uses.

1. High Incompatibility: The new zoning district is incompatible with adjacent land uses. Any development proposal requires a significant bufferyard and extensive documentation to prove that external effects are fully mitigated. In general, proposed districts with this level of conflict should not be permitted. Examples include heavy industrial uses proposed on sites adjacent to low- or medium-density residential uses.