Planning staff presented a year-long schedule for the growth committee to update zoning and subdivision code, and told the commission that parking standards, signage and an overlay project are among forthcoming topics. Staff also reported an administrative lot combination for a downtown project called Grindstone Cowboy.

Staff said the growth-committee calendar will pause in July–August and December and that code updates planned for September will include new ordinance language; November will begin work on an overlay. Staff said the list of projects draws from corridor studies, the comprehensive plan and the greenway master plan and that some items require coordination with City Council scheduling.

On parking, commissioners raised concerns about existing strip-mall parcels where multiple food businesses compete for limited spaces. Staff said the local code sets a minimum number of parking spaces for certain building sizes (staff cited “21” as a baseline) but did not specify an exact square-foot threshold in the meeting; staff said the parking standards are being revised to add more detail by use type and to address residential parking patterns such as garages not being used for vehicles.

Staff described an administrative lot combination for the Grindstone Cowboy project on West Depot Street and Spring Street that would consolidate two parcels so multiple buildings share utilities on one lot; approval is pending some outstanding administrative comments. The staff handout showed the combined parcel would host three buildings on a single lot once comments are addressed.

Why it matters: the code updates and parking-standard changes will affect future site-plan reviews and could change how the city enforces parking and access management in commercial and residential areas. The Grindstone lot combination is an administrative action to enable shared utilities and unified site development downtown.

Next steps: staff will circulate calendar invites for growth-committee meetings, bring detailed draft ordinance language to the commission and coordinate any zoning or subdivision ordinance amendments with City Council schedules. The administrative lot combination will proceed once the applicant addresses staff comments.