Ferndale planning commission backs zoning code amendments, sends changes to city council

The Ferndale Planning Commission voted unanimously May 14 to recommend a package of zoning ordinance amendments to the City Council, while tabling a few complex items for further committee review.

The vote followed a multi-hour public hearing and staff presentation. Roger, city planner, summarized staff's proposed redline edits and told commissioners the rewrite reflected grammar fixes, simplifications and application corrections: "as you recall, the planning commission spent a lot of time adopting the new zoning code ... we would come forward with code amendments in due time because as we apply the code, we'll find things that don't work well." Chair Foster confirmed the process for the ordinance: the planning commission would hold this first public hearing, and the City Council would hold a later public hearing where it too could make non‑substantive edits; substantive edits could require returning the matter for additional review.

Commissioner Azar made the motion to recommend the redline document to City Council, with the changes discussed during the meeting; Commissioner Newman seconded. The roll call vote was recorded as: Commissioner Newman — yes; Commissioner Azar — yes; Commissioner Brazen — yes; Commissioner Hall — yes; Commissioner Subakatani — yes; Commissioner Polica — yes; Chair Foster — yes. The motion carried.

Commissioners flagged several detailed items for additional work rather than final adoption tonight. They agreed to form a small working group to review dimensional‑chart inconsistencies, building‑type crossreferences, and other items the staff called out as needing deeper cleanup. Staff said it will prepare a clean, final draft and check legal and procedural issues as requested by commissioners before the packet goes to council. Chair Foster said she would coordinate timing with the city attorney and calendar staff before scheduling the City Council hearing.

The commission also adopted several clarifications during discussion tonight described in more detail in related articles: a 90‑day threshold for declaring a business "vacant and abandoned" with additional time for required sign removal; strengthened wording on prohibited outdoor storage at abandoned properties; a proposal to encourage warmer exterior lighting (with staff to confirm recommended color temperature and dark‑sky guidance with the city attorney); and clarifications about projections, awnings and cantilevers into setback areas. Several more technical dimensional edits — including how certain mixed‑use (MXD) setbacks apply and a proposed change to how "double‑frontage" lots are treated — were tabled for committee study.

No members of the public addressed the commission during the public‑hearing portion of the meeting. The commission closed the hearing at 9:18 p.m. and forwarded the recommended redline to City Council for consideration, with staff directed to prepare the final materials and to bring the tabled subjects back through a staff‑led working group before the council hearing.