Council repeals April zoning change for Hyde Park site after neighborhood petition and mediation efforts

City council voted to repeal an April ordinance that had rezoned 2719 Erie Avenue in Hyde Park, restoring the property's previous commercial neighborhood/pedestrian business district classification and reverting the official zoning map. The repeal passed on a roll-call vote with all present voting yes.

Why it matters: The repeal was prompted after neighborhood organizing and a petition drive that, according to speakers at the meeting, gathered signatures and put the council on notice; council members said negotiations between the developer and neighbors had not reached a final agreement and that retracting the rezoning would allow further talks.

Doctor Doudis, speaking for the administration, said the ordinance before the council would repeal prior ordinance "97-20 25" (passed in April) that amended the official zoning map to rezone the property at 2719 Erie Avenue to Planned Development District 103; repealing it will revert the map to the commercial neighborhood/pedestrian business district zoning. Several council members praised the grassroots effort: Vice Mayor Jan Michelle Lehi Kearney and others thanked neighborhood organizers for their work and called the turnout an example of community engagement.

Council members said negotiations between the developer and opponents continued for compromise. Council member Mark Jeffries said both sides had made concessions but a few sticking points remained; council member Evan Nolan said the city should make community engagement more predictable and announced a subcommittee on community investment to examine earlier engagement in development projects. Council member Scottie Johnson applauded Hyde Park residents for mobilizing when they felt overlooked.

The council conducted a roll-call vote on the repeal (agenda item 12). The clerk recorded unanimous "yes" votes from members present; the chair declared the ordinance passed.

Discussion vs. decision: The meeting record contains both discussion (neighborhood organizing, negotiation status, need for improved engagement processes) and a formal decision (the repeal ordinance passed on roll call). The repeal restores the pre-April zoning and does not approve any new development plan; council members and residents described ongoing negotiation toward a mutually acceptable proposal.

Ending: Council members urged continued negotiations and signaled work on a predictable community-engagement process for future developments.