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Paris council approves rezoning, PID reimbursement and housing abatement; consent agenda passes
Summary
At its May 12 meeting the Paris City Council approved a consent agenda and six separate actions including two zoning changes, a reimbursement agreement for a new public improvement district and a residential tax-abatement under the city5-in-5 housing program.
The Paris City Council on May 12 approved its consent agenda and took action on multiple development and financing items, including two zoning changes, a reimbursement agreement for a newly formed public improvement district and a residential tax-abatement under the city5-in-5 housing infill program.
The council approved the consent agenda by voice vote and then voted on several staff-recommended items that city staff said met planning and legal requirements.
The actions at a glance
- Evergreen Cemetery rezoning: Council approved a request from Evergreen Cemetery Association Inc. to rezone a roughly 0.6-acre portion of Block 167 from agriculture to commercial to allow an office building. The item passed 6-0 following a public hearing in which Jo Blassingame, manager of Evergreen, described limited office space and the need for larger customer accommodations.
- APS Rentals (laundromat) rezoning: Council approved a rezoning request from single-family (SF-2) to Neighborhood Services to allow a laundromat on multiple combined lots in the 1900 block of Graham/Northwest 19th Street. Planning staff reported no opposition and the Planning & Zoning Commission had recommended approval. Vote: 6-0.
- Forest Brook Public Improvement District (PID) reimbursement agreement: Council approved the form of a reimbursement agreement between the City and Lone Star Plan Development LLC tied to the Forest Brook PID and the previously approved development agreement. Staff said no bonds will be issued at this step and that final bond issuance would return to council. Vote: 6-0.
- 5-in-5 housing infill tax-abatement: Council approved an economic development and residential tax-abatement agreement with developer Todd Stevens under the 5-in-5 program to build five single-family homes on city trustee parcels. Staff said the properties meet program criteria and that the abatement would apply only to incremental taxable value created by required improvements. After discussion about neighborhood uniformity and design review, the council approved the agreement 5-1.
Votes and motions: The record shows the consent agenda was approved by voice and each of the zoning and reimbursement items carried on single motions; where a specific motion maker or seconder was not spoken into the transcript the record lists outcomes by tally. Where individual council members expressed reservations about design policy, staff said those concerns would be addressed in future policy work rather than block this application.
Why this matters
The councilapproved changes delegate development approvals under existing zoning rules and will allow a cemetery office addition, a commercial service (laundromat) in a residential area, progress on the Forest Brook PID financing process and the start of five infill single-family houses under a tax-abatement incentive. Those approvals advance projects that staff said are intended to address service needs (cemetery office and laundromat), enable developer-driven housing production and advance the PID process toward bond issuance.
What the council did not do
Council did not approve issuance of bonds for the PID at this meeting; staff emphasized that bond issuance would return to council for separate approval. Council also did not adopt any new neighborhood uniformity policy at this meeting; members asked staff to prepare draft language for future discussion.
Details and next steps
- Staff said the reimbursement agreement is part of the previously created Forest Brook PID; bond issuance will return to council for formal bond authorization before any bonds are sold.
- For the 5-in-5 housing agreement, staff said required renderings and plans will proceed under current code; council directed staff to present neighborhood-uniformity language for future applications.
- Applicants who spoke included Jo Blassingame, manager of Evergreen Cemetery, in support of the cemetery rezoning.
No additional formal actions were recorded on other items on the regular agenda at the time of adjournment.
