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Planning Commission postpones vote on allowing limited commercial uses in rural zoning
Summary
A proposed text amendment to allow a set of conditional commercial uses in the city's rural zoning district was postponed to June 12 for more work on location and development standards.
The Auburn Planning Commission on Monday postponed consideration of a zoning ordinance text amendment that would allow a set of conditional commercial uses in the city’s rural zoning district, sending the item back to staff for clearer location and development standards.
The change would have added several uses as conditional in rural areas, including book/hobby/music/sporting goods stores; brew pubs; professional studios; restaurants and specialty food stores; indoor community recreation centers; convenience stores under 3,000 square feet (no fuel); and mobile vendor food courts (food trucks).
Justice Liu, a city planner presenting the amendment, said the change was prompted by developer requests and interest in “small footprint commercial PUDs” in peripheral parts of the city. Liu said the proposed uses “will always come to you” as conditional uses rather than being permitted outright.
At a public hearing, resident Brett Basquin said limited commercial uses are “sorely needed” in peripheral locations and noted existing intersections where demand exists. Basquin said the uses he envisions are convenience-oriented and “not grocery‑anchored shopping centers.”
Multiple commissioners raised detailed questions about where conditional commercial uses should be allowed and what infrastructure would be needed. Commissioners and staff discussed limiting such uses to nodes, arterial or collector corridors, and locations with sufficient water and sewer; several said a map or corridor‑based limits were needed before approving broad conditional‑use language for every rural lot.
Because commissioners wanted clearer development standards and geographic limits for the conditional uses, they voted to postpone action to a date‑certain meeting on June 12.
The postponement means staff will return with refined language on where conditional rural commercial uses could be located and more explicit standards to guide approval or denial. No amendment was adopted at Monday’s meeting.
