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Council opens and then lays over public hearing on proposed zoning ordinance updates; planning commission recommended approval
Summary
City planning staff presented a package of zoning ordinance changes affecting conditional-use requirements, site-plan thresholds, permitted uses, and landscape and architectural review; the Planning Commission recommended approval but the council laid the item over after a public hearing with no speakers.
City planning staff presented a set of proposed amendments to Chapter 19 of the Code of General Ordinances that would revise uses requiring conditional-use permits, clarify protest-petition process language to comply with state law, adjust site-plan thresholds and update architectural and landscape-review language.
Staff member Julie told the council the proposal repeals an older protest-petition section because “we are required by state law not to have a super option for super majority vote.” She said the package removes conditional-use requirements for certain outdoor seating areas and would change the site-plan review threshold from work that removes 25% or more of a surface to a 10% threshold, to prevent piecemeal parking-lot work that avoids review.
Other changes described would allow daycare facilities in more districts without conditional use, permit some office uses in M2 industrial districts, remove liquor sales as a use in the zoning ordinance given a separate review process, permit drive-in uses by right under ordinance standards, and move self-storage and certain industrial uses out of community commercial (C-3) into industrial districts. The package also proposes expanded allowances for outdoor vending (food trucks) in C-1 office districts and clarifies foundation planting and interior landscape island requirements.
Julie said the Planning Commission reviewed the package on April 23 and voted 6–0 to recommend approval; staff published notices and reported no public comments were received prior to the hearing. The council opened the public hearing, called three times for speakers, received none and then closed the hearing. The council then voted to lay the item over to a future meeting.
No public speakers addressed the ordinance at the hearing. Councilors discussed the landscaping standards and exception process for preexisting parking lots; Julie said an exception process would allow relief where a site cannot accommodate required landscaping. The council took no final legislative action tonight; the item was tabled for a future meeting.
