Planning committee advances St. Clair rezoning, awards tree-removal contract, approves street-light permit and moves cannabis zoning changes

The City Development & Planning committee handled multiple land-use and permitting items on Feb. 3, 2025, including a rezoning call for the former St. Clair Hospital campus, several permits and contract awards, zoning regulations for cannabis establishments, and a technical correction to a prior resolution.

St. Clair redevelopment and rezoning: City staff requested that council call for a public hearing to consider rezoning the former St. Clair Hospital campus from its current 'resolved institutional' designation to R-3 to support a proposed development of 275 workforce-housing units and an on-site daycare. The committee voted to call for a public hearing to coincide with the planning commission cycle; the public hearing will be scheduled for the upcoming council meeting and planning commission review.

Golf course tree removal: The committee received bids to remove and prune trees at the municipal golf course. Four bids were received; the apparent low bidder was Kevin Downs Tree Service. The committee awarded the base bid plus three alternates to Kevin Downs Tree Service in the amount of $187,000 to be charged to the project’s capital budget code. The motion passed by voice vote.

Gooseneck lighting / sign revocable permit: A new business, Insomnia Cookies, requested a revocable permit for gooseneck lights that would overhang the sidewalk to illuminate a flush-mounted sign at 18 J Street. The committee approved the revocable-permit process on condition of insurance and standard revocable-permit terms.

Cannabis zoning and related administrative action: The committee reviewed amendments to the zoning code (presented as amended section 260-413, article 3, in the record) to regulate locations for cannabis establishments, including special-use provisions for cultivation and a table of permitted uses. The revised text incorporated changes requested by the planning commission and county feedback; staff recommended immediate effectiveness when adopted so it would replace the temporary moratorium scheduled to end Feb. 11. The committee voted to move the ordinance forward with the added table/appendix language; the item was scheduled for the council’s final action in the next cycle. Committee members noted anticipated local excise revenue: a 4% excise tax on cannabis sales, with 25% of that excise going to the county and the locality receiving the remainder; staff indicated the city budget had conservatively budgeted around $600,000 for 2025 from cannabis revenue.

Correction to prior resolution: The committee corrected a misspelling in resolution 2024-245 (buyer name on a property sale) by motion; the correction passed.

Several items (including one personnel/real-estate matter) were set for executive session later in the committee agenda.

No appeals, rezoning denials, or formal litigation matters were decided at this meeting; committee actions were procedural approvals and referrals to public hearing, contract awards, and code-text amendments.