The Village of North Bend council on Jan. 27 opened a public hearing on a proposed comprehensive update to the village zoning code based on a Hamilton County model then voted to continue the hearing to April 28 to allow more time for review and public comment.

The update is a text amendment to replace the village’s 2002 zoning code with reorganized sections, a consolidated use table, clearer administrative rules and new definitions for contemporary uses such as electric vehicle charging, accessory dwelling units and rules for communication facilities. Hamilton County staff and consultants worked with a local committee for roughly 20 months to tailor the model text to North Bend.

Why it matters: The change is administrative and textual — the official zoning map will not change as part of this text amendment — but council members and residents raised concerns about how certain industrial (M‑1) uses would be treated under the new text. One councilor urged a one‑year pause focused on transparency and neighborhood impacts.

Councilor Fran (last name not specified) said she voted against sending the draft to council at the planning commission stage and urged more time, focusing on three M‑1 parcels near residential PUDs. "I'm asking this council, before you approve this, could we have a 1 year hiatus on this?" Fran said, arguing residents should know what uses might be permitted adjacent to homes and condominiums. Fran noted the model code’s "add‑ons" for M‑1 that explicitly list uses such as breweries, kennels and hospitals, and said the change of the district name from "light industrial" to "service industrial" broadened the permitted possibilities.

County and village staff said the model text is intended to provide specificity and defensibility: Brian (Hamilton County) told the council the expanded use table makes it easier to administer and reduce ad‑hoc interpretations when an unlisted use is proposed. Hamilton County staff emphasized the draft is a North Bend text, not a county imposition, and said the village would maintain control after adoption.

The North Bend Planning Commission recommended approval on a 4–1 vote. Councilors opened the public hearing, and with no members of the public testifying at that time, voted to continue the hearing in progress to the council meeting on April 28 at 6 p.m. to allow additional review and the opportunity for residents to comment.

The council record shows the planning commission and county recommended the text change but acknowledged some residents and one councilor wanted more time to study M‑1 implications and buffer issues. Council members and county staff said map amendments (rezonings) remain a separate process and would require separate public hearings if a property owner or the council requests them in the future.

Ending: Councilors said updated printed copies will be made available at the administrative office for review and the April 28 continued hearing will be the next opportunity for public testimony.