(A) Communities are constantly changing. As a community grows, it inherits the desirable characteristics of the past as well as some of the problems. Today, many communities are experiencing undesirable strip development, incompatible land use relationships, and traffic congestion on streets inadequately designed for current volumes. The primary cause for these problems is a lack of foresight and concern for general community goals. The result is lower property values, unequal taxing and general confusion about the function of an area. Compatible land uses are those which are similar to or complement each other. For example, high density residential uses adjacent to a service commercial area are generally compatible with regard to traffic volumes. However, a low density residential development would conflict with a large industrial operation. On the edge of a community, there is generally a problem if a residential subdivision is developed adjacent to an existing agricultural operation. If there is cropland, the farmer will have to plow and fertilize the crops. This leads to complaints of dust and odor from the adjacent residents. If the agriculture operation is a feedlot, there are usually complaints about the odor.
(B) Many methods are available which can be used to modify or eliminate the effects of incompatible land uses. One accepted method is the development of a buffer zone between the incompatible uses. The buffer zone may consist of a type of development which is compatible to both uses or it may simply be a wide belt of open land developed with trees and shrubs and earth mounds.
(C) The primary areas of conflict between various land uses in the city include the area around the Central Business District (CBD), the urban development fringe, numerous industrial operations throughout the city, and areas between the concentrations of the various land uses. For example, there is not a clearly defined transition area between the CBD commercial uses and adjacent residential development. In many cases, there are residences mixed with incompatible commercial uses. This is true in other areas of the community where there is an abrupt change in land uses. This tends to have a depreciating effect on the assessed value of all properties in the immediate area. When an industrial use is permitted to infringe on an area which is exclusively one- and two-family residential, both categories of land use suffer. The increased traffic from the industrial use makes the area undesirable for residences and deteriorates streets made for fewer and smaller vehicles. The narrow streets and domestic activities of a residential area make it very difficult for delivery trucks and workers to drive to the industrial area.
(D) This problem can be overcome by establishing buffer or transition areas between uses which are significantly different.
(Res. 17-1984, passed 8-14-84)