To revise existing regulations or to develop new ones, a community must draw on the experience of a firm that can assemble information into a creative and sound legal document. Clarion Associates provides the full range of expertise that a community needs to build effective and dynamic regulations. Since the firm was founded in 1992, Clarion has written plans and drafted ordinances and regulations for dozens of communities throughout the United States. Our expertise includes: Zoning and subdivision regulations Design standards and guidelines Development regulations Development review procedures Growth management strategies for cities and regions Historic preservation ordinances Intergovernmental agreements Plan implementation strategies Following are brief descriptions of a few of our projects: Zoning Ordinance, Detroit, Michigan As economic growth returned to Detroit in the late 1990s, the city determined that new zoning regulations were needed to protect existing residential areas and to encourage new investment. The Clarion team analyzed the new zoning ordinance to assure its compliance with Michigan laws and federal laws, to determine if the ordinance matched the goals of the comprehensive plan, and to ensure it would be responsive to the needs of citizens. A comprehensive set of revisions were written to correct problems. Client: Detroit City Planning Commission Land Development Code, Dodge County, Wisconsin In this rural area between Madison and Milwaukee, Clarion worked with the county to revise land-development ordinances. Key elements of the project included streamlining and consolidation of numerous existing land-use ordinances into a unified code, and drafting new development standards - including a variety of natural resource protection regulations to safeguard the area's sensitive wetlands and shore land areas. Client: Dodge County Comprehensive Zoning Plan, Henderson, Nevada Located adjacent to Las Vegas, Henderson is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. We drafted a comprehensive zoning ordinance to guide growth, match the comprehensive plan, and influence development of a town center. Client: City of Henderson Joint Land Development Code, Estes Valley, Colorado Because it is surrounded by large public and private land holdings, and due to its unique setting at the base of Rocky Mountain National Park, the Town of Estes Park needed to develop a plan that addressed a wide range of issues. Clarion Associates helped the community craft a joint development code - the first of its kind in Colorado - that accommodated the town, the county government, and the park. The development code was designed to conserve the historic character of the town, to protect sensitive natural features such as river corridors and hillsides, and to encourage appropriate development in surrounding areas. Clients: Town of Estes Park and Larimer County Unified Development Ordinance, Cary, North Carolina The rapidly growing town of Cary, located just outside North Carolina's Research Triangle Park, retained Clarion Associates to prepare comprehensive revisions to its Unified Development Ordinance. The project included a heavy emphasis on public participation and significant streamlining of the current code, including clarification of several development review procedures. The project will implement numerous planning and growth management goals adopted in several local plans. A computerized, interactive version of the final code will be produced for the town's web site. Client: Town of Cary