§ 4.08.01. Specific Definitions Applicable to the RLSA District

As used in the RLSA District Regulations, the terms below shall have the following meanings, set forth below, to the exclusion of any meanings ascribed to such terms in section 1.08.00:

A.

Accessory dwelling unit. A dwelling unit that is supplemental and subordinate to a primary dwelling on the same premises, limited to 900 square feet.

B.

Baseline Standards. Baseline Standards are the allowable uses, density , intensity and other land development regulations assigned to land within the RLSA District by the GMP, Collier County Land development Regulations and Collier County Zoning Regulations in effect prior to July 25, 2000, and subject to the further provisions of section 4.08.05.

C.

Building Height. Refers to the vertical extent of a building . Building height is measured in Stories.

D.

Building Height to Street Width Ratio. The maximum height of the tallest building divided by the width of the street . The street width is the distance between two building façades .

E.

Civic and Institutional Uses. Structures developed for and/or used by established organizations or foundations dedicated to public service or cultural activities including the arts, education, government and religion.

F.

Compact Rural development (CRD). Compact Rural developments are a form of SRA that provide flexibility with respect to the mix of uses and design standards, but shall otherwise comply with the standards of a Hamlet or Village. A CRD may include, but is not required to have permanent residential housing and the services and facilities that support permanent residents. An example of a CRD without permanent residential housing is an ecotourism village that would have a unique set of uses and support services different from a traditional residential village. It would contain transient lodging facilities and services appropriate to eco-tourists, but may not provide for the range of services necessary to support permanent residents.

G.

Context Zones. Areas that establish the use, intensity and diversity within a town, village or hamlet. Context zones specify permitted land uses, FARs, building height, setbacks , and other regulating elements to guide the establishment of the urban to rural continuum.

H.

Designation. Application of the SSA or SRA concepts through a formal application, review, and approval process as described in the RLSA District Regulations.

I.

FSA - Flow way Stewardship Area. Privately owned lands delineated on the RLSA Overlay Map, which primarily include privately owned wetlands that are located within the Camp Keais Strand and Okaloacoochee Slough. FSAs form the primary wetland flow way systems in the RLSA District.

J.

Hamlet. Hamlets are a form of SRA and are small rural residential areas with primarily single-family housing and a limited range of convenience-oriented services. Hamlets serve as a more compact alternative to traditional five (5) acre lot rural subdivisions currently allowed in the Baseline Standards.

K.

HSA - Habitat Stewardship Area. Privately owned lands delineated on the RLSA Overlay Map, which include both areas with natural characteristics that make them suitable habitat for listed species and areas without these characteristics. These latter areas are included because they are located contiguous to habitat with natural characteristics, thus forming a continuum of landscape that can augment habitat values.

L.

Incidental Clearing. Clearing of no more than 1% of the area of an SSA, which is conducted to accommodate the ability to convert from one Ag 1 use to another Ag 1 use and which connects existing Ag 1 acres, squares up existing Ag 1 farm fields, or provides access to or from Ag 1 areas.

M.

Landmark building . A prominent civic or institutional building that creates a significant community feature, focal point, or terminating vista.

N.

Land Use - Land Cover Indices. One of the indices comprising the Natural Resource Index Value of land, with values assigned based upon land use and land cover characteristics as mapped using the Florida Land Use, Cover, and Forms Classification System (FLUCFCS) (FDOT 1999). For purposes of assigning values, land use and land cover codes are grouped as follows: Group 1 (Codes 617, 6172, 621, 6218, 6219, 624, 630, 641, 643); Group 2 (Codes 321, 411, 4119, 425, 434, 439, 428); Group 3 (211, 212, 213, 214, 221, 222, 241, 242, 243, 250, 260, 261, 310, 329, 330, 422, 510, 521, 523, 533, 534); and Group 4 (all others).

O.

Land Use Layer (Layer). Permitted and conditional land uses within the Baseline Standards that are of a similar type or intensity and that are grouped together in the same column on the Land Use Matrix.

P.

Land Use Matrix (Matrix). The tabulation of the permitted and conditional land uses within the Baseline Standards set forth in Section 4.08.06 B.4., with each Land Use Layer displayed as a single column.

Q.

Listed Species Habitat Indices. One of the indices comprising the Natural Resource Index Value, with values assigned based upon the habitat value of the land for listed species. Index values are based on documentation of occupied habitat as established by the intersect of documented and verifiable observations of listed species with land cover identified as preferred or tolerated habitat for that species. Land mapped, using FLUCFCS, as 310, 321, 411, 425, 428, 434, 617, 6172, 621, 6218, 6219, 624, and 630 is deemed to be preferred or tolerated habitat for panthers for the purpose of assigning a value for these indices. An intersection of at least one data point establishing the presence of a listed species within a geographic information system (GIS) polygon of preferred or tolerated habitat for that species shall result in the entire polygon being scored as occupied habitat.

R.

Natural Resource Index (Index). A measurement system that establishes the relative natural resource value of each acre of land by objectively measuring six different characteristics of land and assigning an index factor based on each characteristic. The sum of these six factors is the Index value for the land. The six characteristics measured are: Stewardship Overlay Delineation, Proximity, Listed Species Habitat, Soils/Surface Water, Restoration Potential, and Land Use/Land Cover.

S.

Natural Resource Index Map Series (Index Maps). The Rural Lands Study Area Natural Resource Index Map Series adopted as part of the GMP.

T.

Natural Resource Index Value (Index Value). The sum of the values assigned to each acre, derived through the calculation of the values assigned to each of the six (6) characteristics included in the Index.

U.

Neighborhood Edge. A defining Context Zone that includes the least intensity and diversity within the town, village or hamlet. The zone is predominantly single-family residential and recreational uses. The Neighborhood Edge may be used to provide a transition to adjoining rural land uses.

V.

Neighborhood General. A defining Context Zone that creates community diversity with the inclusion of a mix of single and multi-family housing, neighborhood scale goods and services, schools, parks and other recreational uses, and open space.

W.

Neighborhood Goods and Services Zone. Zone located within the Neighborhood General Context Zone. These zones are intended to provide convenient neighborhood scale retail and office use within proximity to the residential uses in order to support community walkability.

X.

Open space . Open space includes active and passive recreational areas such as parks, playgrounds, ball fields, golf courses, lakes, waterways, lagoons, flood plains , nature trails, native vegetation preserves, landscape areas, public and private conservation lands, agricultural areas (not including structures), and water retention and management areas. Buildings shall not be counted as part of any open space calculation. Vehicular use surface areas of streets , alleys , driveways , and off- street parking and loading areas shall not be counted as part of any open space calculation.

Y.

Pathway. A defined corridor for the primary use of non-motorized travel.

Z.

Post Secondary Institution Ancillary Uses. Any use or facility owned by a public or private post secondary institution that is of a type commonly found on public or private post secondary institution campuses.

AA.

Proximity Indices. One of the indices comprising the Natural Resource Index Value of land, with values assigned based upon the proximity of the land to areas designated on the RLSA Overlay Map as FSA, HSA, or WRA and to either public or private preserve lands. No additional value shall be added under the Proximity Indices for land that is within an FSA, HSA, WRA, or public or private preserve.

BB.

Restoration Potential Indices. One of the indices comprising the Natural Resource Index Value of land, with values assigned based both upon the potential for restoration and the historic use or character of the land as a large mammal corridor, connector wetlands and flow way, wading bird habitat, or other listed species habitat.

CC.

Restoration Zone. Privately owned lands delineated on the RLSA Overlay Map that are located within 500 feet of an FSA, but are not otherwise included in an HSA or WRA.

DD.

RLSA District. Rural Lands Stewardship Area Zoning Overlay District. The area generally depicted on the Future Land Use Map and specifically depicted on the Official Zoning Atlas Map as the Rural Lands Stewardship Area Overlay, including lands within the Immokalee Area Study boundary of the Collier County Rural and Agricultural Area Assessment referred to in the State of Florida Administration Commission Final Order No. AC-99-002. The RLSA District generally includes rural lands in northeast Collier County lying north and east of Golden Gate Estates, north of the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and Big Cypress National Preserve, south of the Lee County Line, and south and west of the Hendry County Line.

EE.

RLSA Overlay Map. The map entitled "Collier County Rural & Agricultural Area Assessment Stewardship Overlay Map," which identifies those areas delineated as FSA, HSA, WRA, Restoration Zone, and Open.

FF.

RLSA District Regulations. LDC Section 4.08.00.

GG.

Soils/Surface Water Indices. One of the indices comprising the Natural Resource Index Value of land, with values assigned based upon soil types classified using the following Natural Soils Landscape Positions (NSLP) categories: Open Water and Muck Depression Soils (NSLP Categories 1 and 5); Sand Depression Soils (NSLP Category 6); Flats Soils (NSLP Category 7); and Non-Hydric Soils (NSLP Categories 8, 9, and 11).

HH.

Special Districts. An area dedicated for certain uses that cannot be incorporated into one of the Context Zones. Special Districts provide for the inclusion of unique uses and development standards not otherwise defined in a context zone.

II.

SRA - Stewardship Receiving Area. A designated area within the RLSA District that has been approved for the development of a Hamlet, Village, Town or CRD and that requires the consumption of Stewardship Credits.

JJ.

SSA - Stewardship Sending Area. A designated area within the RLSA District that has been approved for the generation of Stewardship Credits in exchange for the elimination of one or more Land Use Layers.

KK.

Stewardship Credit (Credit). A transferable unit of measure generated by an SSA and consumed by an SRA. Eight credits are transferred to an SRA in exchange for the development of one acre of land as provided in Section 4.08.06 B.

LL.

Stewardship Credit Database. A database maintained by the County that keeps track of all of the credit transactions (generation of Credits through SSA designation and the consumption of credits through SRA designation) approved by the County.

MM.

Stewardship Credit System. A system that creates incentives to protect and preserve natural resources and agricultural areas in exchange for the generating and use of credits to entitle compact forms of rural development. The greater the value of the natural resources being preserved and the higher the degree of preservation, the greater the number of credits that can be generated. Credits are generated through the designation of SSAs and consumed through the designation of SRAs.

NN.

Stewardship Credit Worksheet. An analytical tool that manually describes the Stewardship Credit calculation process including the Natural Resource Index and Land Use Layer components. The worksheet can be used to document proposed changes to the Index component during the SSA and SRA designation processes.

OO.

Stewardship Overlay Designation. One of the indices comprising the Natural Resource Index Value of land, with values assigned based upon the designation of the land on the RLSA Overlay Map as FSA, HSA, WRA, or ACSC, or, where Land Use Layers 1 through 3 are removed, Restoration Zone. Land that is designated as ACSC, as well as FSA, HSA, or WRA shall receive value for the designation with the higher value but shall not receive value for both designations.

PP.

Story. That portion of a building included between a floor which is calculated as part of the building's habitable floor area and the floor or roof next above it.

QQ.

Story, half. The designation of a space on the upper level of a building in which the walls at the eaves are zero to four feet.

RR.

Town. Towns are a form of SRA and are the largest and most diverse form of SRA, with a full range of housing types and mix of uses. Towns have urban level services and infrastructure which support development that is compact, mixed use, human scale, and provides a balance of land uses to reduce automobile trips and increase livability. Towns are comprised of several Villages and/or neighborhoods that have individual identity and character.

SS.

Town Center. A defining Context Zone that is intended to provide a wide range of uses, including daily goods and services, culture and entertainment, and residential uses within a Town. The Town Center is an extension of the Town Core, however the intensity is less as the Town Center serves as a transition to surrounding neighborhoods.

TT.

Town Core. A defining Context Zone within a Town. The Town Core is the most dense and diverse Context Zone with a full range of uses. The Town Core is the most active area within the Town with uses mixed vertically and horizontally.

UU.

Village. Villages are a form of SRA and are primarily residential communities with a diversity of housing types and mix of uses appropriate to the scale and character of the particular village. Villages are comprised of residential neighborhoods and shall include a mixed-use village center to serve as the focal point for the community's support services and facilities.

VV.

Village center. A defining Context Zone within a Village that is intended to provide a wide range of uses including daily goods and services, culture and entertainment, and residential uses.

WW.

WRA - Water Retention Area. Privately owned lands delineated on the RLSA Overlay Map, that have been permitted by the SFWMD to function as agricultural water retention areas and that provide surface water quality and other natural resource value.

(Ord. No. 05-27, § 3.X)