The following location criteria support the planning model and the policies in the Guidelines for Growth Element. The location criteria are organized by land use type. These criteria are the basis for the development of the Future Land Use Map. Particular attention should be given to the design criteria for commercial development expressed here and in the policies in order to avoid unsightly strip commercial development and hazardous traffic conflicts.

The Future Land Use Map with the supporting analysis in this Comprehensive Plan provides the rational basis for establishing zoning districts. Whereas, the Comprehensive Plan provides the general guidelines for development patterns, the operative element is the zoning ordinance. Zoning is the most effective means of implementing the Future Land Use Map.

The following categories of residential development define the accepted density ranges for those categories in Fredericksburg:

1. Low Density Residential (< 5.0 du/acre). The Low Density designation is designed to reflect the small town character of Fredericksburg and the 7,500-square-foot minimum lot size. Single family, detached homes typify this category. Duplexes or other multi-family dwelling units are not precluded, however, as long as the gross density is not over 5.0 dwelling units per acre.

2. Moderate Density Residential (5.0-14.52 du/acre). The Moderate Density designation is meant to accommodate duplexes, townhouses, condominiums, moderate-density apartments, and mobile home parks.

3. High Density Residential ( > 14.52-22.7 du/acre). This land use category covers the highest density multi-family dwellings.

Low and moderate density residential development should be oriented toward the center of the neighborhood and away from major traffic arterials; the moderate density housing should be located at the edges of these residential areas.

High density residential development should have direct access to collector streets or, as appropriate, minor arterials, and should be buffered from low and moderate density single family residences by fencing, setbacks, landscaping, and building orientation. Traffic generated by high density residential development should not be routed through low density residential areas. Different residential densities may abut one another as long as (a) a proper buffer is provided and (b) traffic generated by the higher density residential area is not routed through the lower density areas.

Residential areas of all types should be adequately buffered from non-residential uses through the utilization of landscaping, height transitions, berms, fences, walls, or open space to mitigate potential adverse impacts. Schools and parks should be centrally located within and easily accessible from the surrounding neighborhoods.

For a city the size of Fredericksburg, geographic criteria, land availability, and local financial capacity tend to override quantitative criteria for minimum acreage, service area, and population served. Within that context, Fredericksburg should have at least one community park for each geographic area roughly determined by major roadways and one park serving the entire city. Community and city parks are defined by the following criteria based on locally determined standards and consistent with state and national standards:

1. Community Parks. Community parks should be 7 to 15 acres in size, should have a service area radius of approximately a half mile, and should be developed in locations that do not require the crossing of a major highway for access. Wherever possible, community parks should be located adjacent schools. Combined school/park sites should be approximately 25 acres for an elementary school, 50 acres for a junior high school, and 75 acres for a high school.

2. City Parks. A city park should be at least 25 acres in size, should serve the current and future needs of the entire city, and should be developed in a location accessible by major roadways. City parks in rural communities often double as regional parks within the county.

 

1. Central Business District. The Central Business District (CBD) is the historic, commercial, public, and tourist center of Fredericksburg. Its vitality is important to the vitality of Fredericksburg’s business community as a whole. The most intensely used portion of the CBD was surveyed for a parking study. The area surveyed covers both sides of Austin, Main, and San Antonio Streets between Washington and Milam Streets. At the time that the survey was done (late 1995), there were approximately 315,000 square feet of gross leasable retail space in that area. The CBD continues to expand beyond that area from creek to creek.

 

The concept of development in the CBD is summarized below (see policies under Goals 1 and 2 in Chapter III, Guidelines for Growth):

 

a. All development in the CBD should have a strong street presence with buildings close to the sidewalk and parking in the rear.

b. Landmarks at the historic edges of original Fredericksburg township should be preserved and enhanced as "points of arrival."

c. For those lots in the CBD outside the historic district that do not lend themselves to porticoed sidewalks along the building fronts, the City’s landscape and sign ordinances should continue to be implemented to maintain a street presence.

d. Increased parking and pedestrian linkages should be incorporated into the CBD.

2. Shopping Centers. Other retail commercial centers should be 3 to 10 acres in size and should be located at the intersection of two arterial streets or an arterial and a major collector street to support adjacent neighborhoods. A supermarket will often anchor a neighborhood center at the larger end of the scale. Other stores might include a drug store, a book store, video store, music store, bakery, cafe, children’s clothing and shoes, or gift boutiques. Such centers can approach the scale of a community center but lack the department or variety store anchor. At the other end of the scale, a neighborhood center might include a convenience store, a dry cleaners, video store, and other convenience goods and personal services.

3. Commercial Strips. Commercial strips that have extensive street frontage, other than in the CBD, should be of sufficient depth to allow access to and egress from intersecting streets in order to minimize the number of driveways and to prevent the need for cars to back into traffic.

 

Heavy commercial uses, such as machine shops and automobile repair shops, should be located on thoroughfares away from prime retail locations. They should be located adjacent to industrial areas unless there is a distinct relationship to other uses that demands proximity to those uses. A gas station, which may also include a convenience store, would be a heavy commercial use that could be located in a neighborhood or community shopping center.

 

All industry should take advantage of highway access as much as possible. Transition between industrial and nearby residential areas should be accomplished by the scaling down of activity within the industrial district through the use of screening, landscaping, preservation of natural open space, setbacks, and design compatibility, including consideration of building height, bulk, and lot coverage. Industrial uses should minimize impacts on nearby or adjacent residential areas by avoiding the placement of loading zones, vehicle maintenance areas, and outside storage on the side of the residential areas.

Truck traffic should be routed to avoid residential areas as much as possible. Industrial and heavy commercial uses should not be located at the end of collector streets that serve or pass through residential areas. In the event that a truck route is built around Fredericksburg, land adjacent to it would be most suited to heavy commercial uses and industrial parks.

The Future Land Use Map shows the desired and anticipated development pattern within the extent of the 1995 extraterritorial jurisdiction (Map IV-1). It reflects that fact that, although certain trends will prevail, those trends can be influenced through local actions. The residential land use requirements for approximately 7,000 additional people in the planning area, which extends beyond the 1995 ETJ, are approximately 1,000 acres and about 3,000 dwelling units by the year 2020. This projected growth is an increase of approximately 50 percent in the planning area and comparable to the amount of residential acreage currently inside the city limits. Although not all of this growth will occur within the incorporated area, all of it will surely impact the City.

Much more than the projected 1,000 acres of residential development are shown on the Future Land Use Map in order to indicate where the potential growth areas are for the various land uses. This approach was taken show options for the housing market while trying to convey some sense of the extent of growth over the next 25 years.

Parks are designated in accordance with the location criteria to serve the residential areas and to take advantage of floodplain open space and other environmentally constrained land as much as possible. In no way do park designations imply the taking of private property without just compensation. New parks can be obtained through the subdivision process. Infill parks can be obtained through donations and acquisition.

Retail commercial development is designated in accordance with the location criteria to serve the residential development. Office is mixed with retail in the future land use designations; but the location criteria regarding the clustering of retail still apply and should be incorporated into the zoning ordinance.

Industrial land use designations are shown consistent with the location criteria and are extensive enough to give maximum flexibility to the location of new industry and the expansion of existing industry in appropriate locations.

The neighborhood concept is the basis for the planning model presented in the Guidelines for Growth Element. The following assumptions are reflected in the concept:

1. The grid street pattern is efficient and should be continued in Fredericksburg but in the context of a functional hierarchy of local streets and thoroughfares.

2. The future residential land use mix should be approximately the same as the existing mix.

3. Parks should be located geographically in accordance with the location criteria.

4. Office land uses are suitable uses on thoroughfares to separate retail development.

5. Industrial land uses should be separated from residential uses and should take advantage of major thoroughfares in accordance with the location criteria.

MAP IV-1

FUTURE LAND USE