The alternative would be to add those two regulations into each underlying zoning district – often making it necessary to have the same text in the zoning ordinance several times, once for each zoning district the river flows through. The overlay district text in the zoning ordinance is where the larger setback and requirement for the vegetation buffer is written. For example, an overlay district along the entire length of a river, that flows through several different zoning districts, may require a vegetation buffer and larger setback from the riverbank. In the zoning ordinance, the overlay district text might have additional, or different, regulations that apply within the overlay district shown on the zoning map. Then think of a transparent plastic sheet laid on top of the zoning map, showing an additional boundary, to illustrate the overlay district. Think of the standard colors of a zoning map illustrating where different zoning districts are located.

It is a second layer of district(s) on top of the zoning district map. For example, a residential district may include dwellings and duplexes as permitted uses apartment buildings as possible special uses and other regulations such as minimum parcel size, setbacks, building height, and so on.Īn overlay zone would be an additional zoning district that is laid over the top of two or more zoning districts – usually to introduce an additional standard(s) or regulation(s) along some feature. Each zoning district has its own distinct list of permitted uses, special uses, and regulations. There may be residential, commercial, office, industrial, rural residential, and working lands (agriculture, forestry) zoning districts. A zoning ordinance will always include a zoning map that shows the municipality, or county, divided up into zoning districts.

Planning blight definition