YAVAPAI COUNTY PLANNING AND ZONING ORDINANCE Page 61 SECTION 441 OPEN SPACE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OPTION OPEN SPACE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OPTION A. Purpose: The purpose of the Open Space and Sustainable Development Option is to provide an alternative, voluntary method of land division that encourages sustainable development and the preservation of open space through flexible lot sizes and locations of single-family residential dwellings. B. Intent 1. Encourage a flexible and creative variety of planning designs through process efficiencies. 2. Encourage efficient infrastructure systems and environmentally responsible delivery of essential services. 3. Provide an alternative to the creation of parcel splits (“Lot” Splits) that are exempt from County Subdivision Regulations and an alternative to conventional subdivisions in an effort to retain the County’s rural character. 4. Employ development standards and guidelines that equitably balance conservation and development objectives. 5. Minimize the overall development footprint and preserve environmentally beneficial areas of the development site through the allowance of smaller lot sizes and cluster oriented design. 6. Encourage sustainable building and development practices through the use of density incentives. C. General Requirements 1. The property shall be developed in accordance with the requirements herein and the Yavapai County Subdivision Regulations. The platted area shall include the developed residential lots and the associated open space areas to be preserved. 2. The Open Space and Sustainable Development Option shall only be allowed in the R1L, RMM, R1 and RCU zoning districts, where no rezoning is requested. 3. Density: The maximum density shall not exceed and shall be determined by the following: a. For any portion of land containing slopes below thirty-five percent (35%), the maximum density is determined by dividing the gross area of the tract of land below the thirty-five percent (35%) slope line by the minimum lot size specified in the underlying zoning district(s). b. For any portion of land containing slopes between thirty-five percent (35%) and fifty percent (50%), the maximum density is .75 of the density determined by dividing the gross area of the tract of land between the thirty-five percent (35%) and fifty percent (50%) slope lines by the minimum lot size specified in the underlying zoning district(s). c. For any portion of land containing slopes between fifty percent (50%) and seventy-five percent (75%), the maximum density is .50 of the density determined by dividing the gross area of the tract of land between the fifty percent (50%) and