Council previewed longer moratorium; exemption for Downtown Overlay District flagged as likely contested

Staff presented a resolution that would establish a longer-term moratorium on certain zoning matters, following an earlier 45-day emergency moratorium already in place. The draft includes an exemption "for any properties located within the Downtown Overlay District that already have been permitted for land disturbance," a clause staff flagged as the most likely source of legal challenge; the attorney warned the exemption could trigger vested-rights disputes for property owners who have begun work.