§ 45-22.2-3 - Legislative findings and intent – Statement of goals.
SECTION 45-22.2-3
§ 45-22.2-3 Legislative findings andintent – Statement of goals. – (a) Findings. The general assembly recognizes these findings, each withequal priority and numbered for reference only, as representing the need tosubstantially revise present enabling legislation and, therefore, declares that:
(1) The absence of accurate technical information andcomprehensive planning by municipal government as a rational basis forlong-term physical development creates conflicting requirements and reactiveland use regulations and decisions.
(2) Municipal government is responsible for land use, butlacks the technical information and financial resources to plan for orderlygrowth and development, and the protection and management of our land andnatural resources.
(3) Land, water, and air are finite natural resources.Comprehensive planning must provide for protection, development, use, andmanagement of our land and natural resources.
(4) Comprehensive planning and its implementation willpromote the appropriate use of land. The lack of comprehensive planning and itsimplementation has led to the misuse, underuse, and overuse of our land andnatural resources.
(5) The coordination of growth and the intensity ofdevelopment with provisions for services and facilities is a proper objectiveof comprehensive planning.
(6) Comprehensive planning is needed to provide a basis formunicipal and state initiatives to insure all citizens have access to a rangeof housing choices, including the availability of affordable housing for allincome levels and age groups.
(7) Municipal comprehensive planning must recognize andaddress land uses in contiguous municipalities and encourage cooperativeplanning efforts by municipalities.
(8) Comprehensive planning will provide a basis for improvedcoordination so that local plans reflect issues of local, regional, andstatewide concern. Comprehensive planning will insure that municipal governmenthas a role in the formulation of state goals and policies.
(9) Improved coordination is necessary between state andmunicipal governments to promote uniform standards and review procedures aswell as consistency in land use regulations.
(b) Intent. The general assembly declares it is theintent of this chapter to:
(1) Establish, in each municipality, a program ofcomprehensive planning that is implemented according to the standards andschedule contained in this chapter.
(2) Provide financial assistance for the formulation andimplementation of the comprehensive plan.
(3) Provide financial assistance to establish a uniform dataand technical information base to be used by state and municipal governmentsand their agencies.
(4) Establish standards and a uniform procedure for thereview and approval of municipal comprehensive plans and state guide plans andtheir consistency with overall state goals, objectives, standards, applicableperformance measures, and policies.
(5) Establish a procedure in comprehensive planning at stateand municipal levels which will accommodate future requirements.
(c) Goals. The general assembly hereby establishes aseries of goals to provide overall direction and consistency for state andmunicipal agencies in the comprehensive planning process established by thischapter. The goals have equal priority and are numbered for reference only.
(1) To promote orderly growth and development that recognizesthe natural characteristics of the land, its suitability for use, and theavailability of existing and proposed public and/or private services andfacilities.
(2) To promote an economic climate which increases qualityjob opportunities and overall economic well being of each municipality and thestate.
(3) To promote the production and rehabilitation ofyear-round housing that achieves a balance of housing choices, for all incomelevels and age groups, which recognizes the affordability of housing as theresponsibility of each municipality and the state and which facilitateseconomic growth in the state.
(4) To promote the protection of the natural, historic andcultural resources of each municipality and the state.
(5) To promote the preservation of the open space andrecreational resources of each municipality and the state.
(6) To provide for the use of performance-based standards fordevelopment and to encourage the use of innovative development regulations andtechniques that promote the development of land suitable for development whileprotecting our natural, cultural, historical, and recreational resources, andachieving a balanced pattern of land uses.
(7) To promote consistency of state actions and programs withmunicipal comprehensive plans, and provide for review procedures to ensure thatstate goals and policies are reflected in municipal comprehensive plans andstate guide plans.
(8) To ensure that adequate and uniform data are available tomunicipal and state government as the basis for comprehensive planning and landuse regulation.
(9) To ensure that municipal land use regulations anddecisions are consistent with the comprehensive plan of the municipality, andto insure state land use regulations and decisions are consistent with stateguide plans.
(10) To encourage the involvement of all citizens in theformulation, review, and adoption of the comprehensive plan.
(11) To preserve existing government subsidized housing forpersons and families of low and moderate income and to increase the overallsupply of year-round housing, including housing for low and moderate incomepersons and families.