The
Denton Comprehensive Plan, prepared in the midst of the Maryland Smart Growth Initiatives,
identifies extra-territorial growth areas within a long term urban growth boundary for the
community, where the Town will entertain annexation proposals. Looking ahead, the Town
retained Redman/Johnston Associates, Ltd. in 2002 to prepare development concepts that
would illustrate a vision for over 3,000 acres of the growth area. The purposes of the
project are to illustrate alternative development design concepts for new residential,
commercial and industrial areas, and urban design principles for creating positive places
that are well-integrated into the existing townscape.
The vision that the Town seeks depends on good design
to create lively places with distinctive character; streets and public spaces that are
safe, accessible, pleasant to use and human in scale; and places that inspire because of
the imagination and sensitivity of their designers. For its part, the Town will try to
reflect these sentiments in their development controls (including zoning and development
standards), especially for newly annexed areas.
The anticipated results of the study include new
zoning district and development design standards and guidelines that will foster those
positive features of the place and its people that contribute to the special character and
sense of identity that is the Town of Denton. These features include landscape, building
traditions and material patterns of local life, and other factors that make Denton an
unique place. At the same time the Town will maintain the perspective that designing a
local distinctiveness involves creative reconciliation of local practices, on the one
hand, with the latest technology, building types, and needs on the other.
The best places are memorable, with character which
people can appreciate easily.
