English to Spanish Tech/Engineering Construction / Civil Engineering

Some cities have what are known as plan districts. These are small areas of a city that have been singled out for additional regulation due to the unique characteristics of the area. A prime example of a plan district is the central city plan district in the City of Portland. The city’s zoning ordinance contains a separate chapter for the central city plan district, which provides numerous and detailed restrictions for property located in the district. Issues such as height, density, and setbacks are regulated by the provisions of the central city plan district. In some cases, the provisions of a particular plan district will conflict with the provisions of the base zone for the property. For example, the base zone may list a minimum setback of 10 feet but the plan district may specify a 20 foot setback. In such cases, the provisions of the plan district usually control over conflicting provisions of the base zone. When analyzing zoning questions such as what is the applicable setback and what is the maximum height of a structure, it is critical to determine what the applicable regulation is. This can be confusing when there are base zones, overlay zones, and plan districts, each of which may contain a different answer. Unless the code specifies otherwise, the most restrictive will usually apply.