Planning Terms

Terms used in land use allocation and other areas of planning:

Annexation: An expansion of the city limits through the addition of territory to the jurisdictional boundaries of the city. Includes 'contract annexation' agreements between applicants and the city.

Comprehensive Plan Amendment: A modification to the Comprehensive Plan.  May be a redesignation of an area from one land use classification to another, or a change in the policies or text of the plan. An amendment in any form is generally considered to be site-specific.  Major revisions, including the updating of all or parts of the plan, affection the framework or principal elements of the plan, are not considered amendments and may not be initiated by individual applicants, only by the City.

Conditional Use: An activity which is basically consistent with other uses in the zone, but due to some of the characteristics of the activity which might not be entirely compatible with the zone.  Therefore these use require review by the Planning Commission to determine and/or control potential adverse impacts.

Partitioning: Division of a unit or contiguous units of land under single ownership into two or three parcels within a calendar year. (See Subdivision)

Site Plan Review: The detailed examination of the physical characteristics of a proposed development or improvement to property prior to any site preparation, tree removal, or development, with special attention given to the design of the development or improvement and the potential impacts on adjoining properties or land uses. A site plan requires the evaluation of specific criteria as spelled out in Section 17.12.220 of the Development Code.

Subdivision: The division of a parcel of land into four or more parcels for the purpose of transfer of ownership or development.

Variance: An approved modification to or relief from a specific regulation or set of regulations imposed by the municipal code. A variance approval is limited to the individual condition and/or instance for which the variance was requested.

Zone Change: Reclassification of an area from one zoning district to another, provided the new zoning district exists in the Stayton Municipal Code.