City council corrects parcel numbers and schedules joint hearing on Central Street commercial overlay

The Gardner City Council on May 5 amended and approved referral of a zoning ordinance change to add a commercial overlay on parcels along Central Street, corrected two typographical parcel numbers in the draft ordinance, and directed that a joint public hearing be scheduled with the Planning Board.

Councilor Mack moved the ordinance to be considered; Councilor Thibaut Munoz seconded the motion. Councilor Brooks identified typographical errors in two parcel references and moved to correct them to R27-17-13 and R27-17-18; Councilor Thibaut Munoz seconded the amendment, which the council approved by voice vote. Councilor Mack then amended his motion to refer the ordinance to the Public Welfare subcommittee and the Planning Board and to schedule a joint public hearing between the City Council and the Planning Board; that amended motion passed by voice vote.

The ordinance is described in the agenda as "an amendment to the code of the city of Gardner chapter 6 75 thereof entitled zoning to change and add commercial overlay classification on certain parcels of land on Central Street." The council’s actions were procedural: correcting the ordinance text and referring the item for further review and a joint hearing rather than adopting a zoning change on the night of the meeting.

Councilor Brooks said the ordinance "appears to have typographical parcels R 27 Dash 17 Dash 3 and R 27 Dash 17 Dash 8" and moved that both references be corrected so they read "R 27 Dash 17 Dash 13 and R 27 Dash 17 Dash 18." Councilor Mack moved to refer the item to committee and the Planning Board and to schedule the joint public hearing. The council voted by voice; the meeting record shows the motions passed.