Commission recommends removing obsolete supermajority requirement from zoning code
Summary
The commission recommended approval of a city-initiated code amendment removing a provision that required a three‑quarters council majority to overrule Planning & Zoning Commission denials, aligning the code with state law.
The Planning & Zoning Commission voted to recommend repeal of a city code provision that required a three‑quarters majority of the City Council to overrule a Planning & Zoning Commission recommendation to deny a zoning or text amendment. Staff said the state legislature repealed the enabling law that allowed cities to require a supermajority in this instance, so the city code must be changed to reflect current state statute.
Staff explained that other instances where state law requires a supermajority — for example, in the case of valid protests to a rezoning — remain unaffected. The proposed amendment deletes the local code subsection that conflicts with state law. A motion to recommend approval of the repeal carried by voice vote.
Staff characterized the change as cleanup to bring the municipal code into harmony with state law rather than a policy decision about council authority.
The commission recommended the change to the council for formal adoption.
