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Staff reports progress on zoning code update; focus groups, public comment and growth policy alignment expected
Summary
Planning staff told the Historic Preservation Commission that consultants have compiled over 1,000 comments and that focus groups will review recommended zoning updates in May. The draft zoning changes must support the city's adopted growth policy and will later go to the Land Use Board and city commission for ordinance readings.
City planning staff updated the Livingston City Historic Preservation Commission on the status of a multi‑month zoning code update, saying consultants have received over 1,000 comments and about 220 individual responses to a follow‑up survey.
Staff said consultants will organize recommended updates into topic groups tied to four initial focus groups; those focus groups will review the consultant recommendations in May. The planner said staff will give the consultants a few days to incorporate staff input and then circulate the recommendations to the focus groups that participated in the first round. After that public review, staff expects the draft to be released for a general public comment period, and the item will proceed to the Land Use Board and then to the city commission for two ordinance readings, as required for zoning changes. Staff estimated the earliest Land Use Board public hearing will likely be in August or September.
The planner emphasized that the zoning code update must support the city's currently adopted growth policy and that any recommendations that conflict with that growth policy will be identified and saved for a later growth‑policy update. Staff noted there are a few state legislative changes they are tracking that may require adjustments to the recommendations. The planner said the mapping component may follow the initial recommendations and that she did not expect massive map changes but did expect targeted adjustments — including review of highway commercial and neighborhood/mixed‑use designations.
Staff described additional public outreach steps: in‑person focus groups, social‑pinpoint online engagement (added by contract amendment), and follow‑up public comment on the draft. Staff invited commissioners and the public to continue submitting written comments at any time and said staff will forward comments to the consultants. The planner characterized the zoning update as an effort to gather broad public feedback and to make recommended code changes that align with the growth policy rather than to preempt future growth‑policy updates.
No formal action or vote was taken on the zoning update at this meeting; the item was informational.
