AICP Plan Implementation 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which financing mechanism allows a local government to issue bonds backed by future property tax revenues from a designated district to fund upfront infrastructure costs?
- General obligation bonds
- Tax increment financing bonds (Correct answer)
- Revenue bonds backed by utility fees
- Special revenue sharing grants
Correct answer: Tax increment financing bonds
TIF bonds are repaid from the incremental property tax revenues generated as the redevelopment district's assessed values rise above the baseline.
Question 2: When evaluating whether a proposed zoning amendment constitutes illegal 'spot zoning,' courts typically look at:
- Whether the parcel is smaller than one acre
- Whether the rezoning creates an isolated district inconsistent with the surrounding area and general plan without a legitimate public purpose (Correct answer)
- Whether the applicant is a nonprofit organization
- Whether the rezoning reduces the maximum allowable density
Correct answer: Whether the rezoning creates an isolated district inconsistent with the surrounding area and general plan without a legitimate public purpose
Spot zoning is characterized by singling out a parcel for treatment inconsistent with surrounding zoning in a manner that benefits the owner without a valid public purpose.
Question 3: Which statement best describes the role of 'findings' in a quasi-judicial land use decision such as a variance or conditional use permit?
- Findings are optional summaries prepared after the hearing for public information
- Findings are required written conclusions that connect the evidence in the record to the legal criteria for approval or denial (Correct answer)
- Findings serve only as internal staff memos not subject to judicial review
- Findings must be drafted exclusively by the city attorney
Correct answer: Findings are required written conclusions that connect the evidence in the record to the legal criteria for approval or denial
Adequate findings protect the decision on appeal by demonstrating that the decision-making body applied the correct legal criteria to the specific evidentiary record.
Question 4: A city wants to encourage mixed-income housing in high-opportunity neighborhoods. Which tool most directly accomplishes this through the private market?
- Urban renewal clearance programs
- Inclusionary zoning requiring a percentage of affordable units in new residential developments (Correct answer)
- Downzoning to reduce overall density
- Historic preservation designations
Correct answer: Inclusionary zoning requiring a percentage of affordable units in new residential developments
Inclusionary zoning mandates or incentivizes that a set proportion of new housing units be priced for lower- or moderate-income households.
Question 5: A coastal city adopts a Local Coastal Program (LCP). Under the Coastal Zone Management Act, the LCP must be consistent with:
- HUD's Community Development Block Grant requirements
- The state's approved coastal management program (Correct answer)
- The Army Corps of Engineers' nationwide permits
- FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program maps
Correct answer: The state's approved coastal management program
The federal Coastal Zone Management Act requires that local coastal programs conform to the state's federally approved coastal management program.
Question 6: In the context of plan implementation monitoring, which indicator type measures whether planning actions are actually being carried out (e.g., miles of bike lanes built)?
- Outcome indicators
- Output indicators (Correct answer)
- Impact indicators
- Baseline indicators
Correct answer: Output indicators
Output indicators track the direct products of plan implementation activities, such as units of infrastructure installed or permits issued.
Question 7: A nonprofit developer seeks Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) to build affordable apartments. Which agency administers this federal program at the state level?
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
- State housing finance agencies (HFAs) (Correct answer)
- The U.S. Treasury Department directly
- Local community development departments
Correct answer: State housing finance agencies (HFAs)
The LIHTC program is administered by state housing finance agencies, which allocate tax credits through a Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) reflecting state housing priorities.
AICP Plan Implementation 5
Which financing mechanism allows a local government to issue bonds backed by future property tax revenues from a designated district to fund upfront infrastructure costs?