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<br />designation. The districts are exempt from state admissions and
<br />amusement taxes. Developers revitalizing existing
<br />manufacturing, commercial, or industrial buildings for artists to
<br />live and work are exempt from certain property taxes for up to
<br />10 years. Finally, "qualifYing artists" living and working in rhe
<br />districts are eligible for a state income tax break. The state may
<br />designate as many as six new districts each calendar year, but
<br />only one district per county.
<br />Among the first to receive the new designation is the
<br />Prince George's County Gateway Arts District. This district
<br />is unique in that it is comprised of f()lIr distinct communities
<br />located along a two-mile stretch of U.S. Route 1. The
<br />Gateway Arts District will include fOur newly consrrucred
<br />projects developed by Artspace, Inc., a Minneapolis-based
<br />consulting and development firm. One project will be
<br />located in each of the four communities making up the
<br />district-Hyattsville, Mount Rainier, Brentwood, and North
<br />Brentwood. Three of the sites will be live/work artist
<br />residences. Each of the live/work projects will have an arts-
<br />related community facility located on the first floor. The
<br />fourth site, located in North Brenrwood, will be an African
<br />American heritage museum.
<br />The U.S. Route 1 corridor along which the art district will be
<br />developed is presently home to liquor stores, pawn shops, nail
<br />salons, and used car lots. The underlying zoning is Euclidean and
<br />ranges from single-Eunily residential to heavy industrial. Planning
<br />efforts raise a number of challenging zoning issues that must be
<br />addressed to ensure the success of the district.
<br />The first zoning challenge for this project is to anticipate and
<br />incorporate arts-related terminology into the current zoning
<br />ordinance. In Maryland, those uses not explicitly allowed in the
<br />zoning ordinance are deemed so. Therefore, when the art district
<br />designations were implemented it was necessary to at least have
<br />the related uses defined in rhe ordinance. Definitions for "artist"
<br />and "artist residential studio" are just two of the terms the
<br />zoning ordinance will need to include.
<br />Another challenge facing planners for the project will be how
<br />to introduce more "vertical" mixed-use development into to the
<br />district without disrupting the existing community character.
<br />Many parts of the district were developed prior to the current
<br />suburban-oriented zoning and therefore have a desirable
<br />development pattern that planners would like to maintain.
<br />However, arts districts typically have developed within urban
<br />cores that vertically mix uses. The district's current horizontal
<br />orientation does not allow for the same flexibility as its vertical
<br />counterpart. Dineene O'Connor, a planner for Prince George's
<br />County with the Maryland National Capitol Park and Planning
<br />Commission (M-NCPPC), notes that a "fully functioning and
<br />vital arts district will be a mix of uses that allow artists the
<br />ability to create their art, as well as sell, demonstrate, or teach
<br />their art to others."
<br />Needless to say, a variety of zoning changes will be necessary
<br />throughout the implementation of the arts district, and planners
<br />will need to determine a suitable process for canying out these
<br />changes. Creating this process will likely be the most complicated
<br />zoning challenge ['King the project, and planners are considering
<br />several options, according to Sandra Youla, a M-NCPPC zoning
<br />analyst for MontgomelY County, which currently has two art
<br />district designations. Ideally, county planners need an easily
<br />replicated process for implementing zoning changes as well as a
<br />clear place in the zoning ordinance that allows for special arts
<br />zoning within the geographic boundaries of the districts. Achieving
<br />such goals is no easy task under state law.
<br />
<br />Under Maryland statute any change made to a zoning
<br />category-allowing live/work artist residences-applies to that
<br />zone wherever it exists. That means there could be arts-related
<br />uses anywhere in the county outside of the designared arts
<br />districts. Planners also could run the risk of making some
<br />existing arts uses non-conforming by changing the zoning
<br />categories. Another option is the Local Map Amendment, which
<br />can be introduced by an individual or agency. The Local Map
<br />Amendment would allow the new arts uses to be geographically
<br />limited, but the mechanism can only be used on a parcel-by-
<br />parcel basis. The use of an overlay zone is also being considered
<br />because it would be a comprehensive manner in which to allow
<br />for special zoning in a geographic area. The downside to
<br />creating an overlay zone is that it requires a somewhat longer
<br />process.
<br />The Gateway Arts District is a work in progress. Initiared in
<br />February 2002, Prince George's County is currently preparing a
<br />new sector plan and secrional map amendment (SMA) for the
<br />district. M-NCPPC has prepared a public information brochure
<br />regarding rhe sector plan and SMA available for viewing online
<br />at www.mncppc.org/cpd/arts.htm.
<br />
<br />Lynn Ross
<br />
<br />ZOIY/HGR[!12orts
<br />
<br />Expanding Affordable Housing Through
<br />Inclusionary Zoning: Lessons from the
<br />Washington Metropolitan Area
<br />Karen Destorel Brown. Brookings Institution Center on Urban and
<br />Metropolitan Policy. October 2001. 42 pp. Free. Available in pd!
<br />flrmat at: www.brookings.eduleslurbanlpublicationsl
<br />inclusionary. htm.
<br />This discussion paper produced for Brookings reviews the
<br />features of four county zoning ordinances in Maryland and
<br />Virginia, enacted at various times since 1989, and their
<br />effectiveness in stimulating the production of affordable
<br />housing. Clearly, the oldest and most advanced is the ordinance
<br />in Montgomery County, Maryland, which is responsible for
<br />adding more than 10,000 units, but many of these units (or
<br />houses) are now leaving the county's control due to the
<br />expiration of the 10-year restrictions on resale prices for owner-
<br />occupied units. In a market known for high median incomes
<br />and high housing prices, this analysis is a valuable examination
<br />of the feasibility and efficiency of inclusionary zoning measures
<br />for increasing the supply of affordable housing.
<br />
<br />Zoning lVewj iS;I momhly llcwslcnt"r published by ,he American Planning Associarion.
<br />Subscriptions are avaibble for $60 (U.S.) and $82 (foreign). \Y/ P;nd Farmer. ;\1(:1', Execurive
<br />Direnor; \Villialll R. Klein. ,.\!Cl'. Director of Research.
<br />
<br />Zoning News is produced ar APA. Jim Schwab, AICI'. and i'v1ichael Davidson, Editors; Barry Bain.
<br />:\ICI', Heather Campbtll. Fay Dolnick. N:lte Hurcheson. Saniay Jeer. AIel', !\"legan Lewis. ;\lCl',
<br />Mary:! Morris. :\IU', Reporrers; Sherrie 1\..Lmhe\\'s, Assistam Ediwr: Lisa Bartoll, Design :uh.i
<br />Production.
<br />
<br />Copyright <!.")2002 by American Planning Association. 122 S. !\"lichigall Ave., Suire 1600, Chicago,
<br />IL 60603. The American PL1nnin~ Associ:uioll also has offices al 1776 iv1assachusetrs Ave.. N.\Xl.,
<br />\Vashingtoll. DC 200,16; www.pl:inning.org
<br />
<br />All rights reserved. No pan of this publicHioll may bt reproduced or utiliz.ed in any form or by any
<br />means. electronic or Illcdullical, including photocopying, recording. or by allY information storage
<br />:lnd rerriev;!l system, without permission in writing from the American Phlllning Association.
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