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Mount Vernon planning board backs City Council referrals to permit gyms in nonresidential zones, and to extend approval expiration to 30 months
Summary
At the Planning Board meeting Sept. 9, Mount Vernon planning staff presented two City Council referrals: to add gyms and health clubs as permitted uses in nonresidential/mixed‑use districts, and to extend land‑use approval expiration from 24 to 30 months.
At the Planning Board work session on Sept. 9, Associate Commissioner Lucas Herbert briefed members on two referrals sent by the City Council: one to add “health clubs/fitness centers” as a principal permitted use in the city’s nonresidential and mixed‑use zoning districts, and a second to extend the expiration period for land‑use approvals tied to building permits from 24 months to 30 months.
Herbert said the zoning text amendment for health clubs was intended to correct an apparent oversight: gyms are common in Mount Vernon but were not specified as a permitted use anywhere in the ordinance even though parking requirements for such uses were already in place. The proposed change would add health clubs and fitness centers as a principal permitted use in all nonresidential districts and applicable mixed‑use districts (the transcript lists districts as “MX 1, MDW‑H, MDW‑C, MDOBDBCV, VEI 7.5, LI‑15, I (Industrial), TOD‑1 and D T O Districts” as read aloud at the meeting).
On the second referral, Herbert explained that the department proposed extending the time allowed to complete construction after a building permit is issued from 24 months to 30 months (an extra six months) to reduce the number of short‑term extension requests developers have to file. Planning staff said the change anticipates a higher volume of land‑use applications when the city’s comprehensive plan and new zoning are in place.
The Planning Board indicated it was comfortable with both referrals and had no substantive comments; members had no objection to the City Council designating itself lead agency for the health‑club zoning change. Staff asked that any additional comments be submitted quickly because a Council hearing was scheduled the next day.
No regulatory language was adopted at the meeting; the board’s role was the advisory referral to City Council. The board’s support means the Council referral proceeds subject to Council hearings and any formal adoption procedures required by the city code.
