Work session: owner seeks to add adjacent strip to existing C‑2 parcel; commission discusses limiting some C‑2 uses

An owner on the 4700 West corridor sought commission input at a work session about expanding an existing C‑2 commercial zone to include an adjacent, narrow parcel. The owner told commissioners the change would make the site easier to use and market and would allow the property to be legally compliant for storage and small retail uses he currently operates on site.

No formal rezone or ordinance change was adopted at the work session; commissioners and staff discussed approaches and gave staff direction on next steps. Staff said it would prepare a clearer draft of permitted uses and propose specific edits for commissioners to review at a subsequent meeting. The owner asked staff to expedite the change if possible.

Why it matters: the property sits at a corridor that commissioners and staff described as likely to see additional commercial activity as regional traffic and development patterns change. Commissioners said the parcel is already substantially commercial and suggested narrowing allowed uses rather than switching to a less permissive zoning category. Several commissioners also asked staff to include screening or buffering language to protect adjacent residential yards where uses would sit closer to homes.

Discussion highlights: - Parcel geometry and ownership: staff showed the commission maps indicating two parcels under common ownership: an existing C‑2 parcel containing the main building and a narrow adjacent strip and corner parcel that remain zoned residential. Staff said rezoning the narrow strip and adjusting lot lines would bring the site into a single usable commercial lot. -Uses and limits: planning staff (Felix) prepared an edited use table for C‑2 in which several more intensive uses were struck through as not appropriate for this small, neighborhood‑adjacent commercial site. Commissioners proposed adding mandatory screening (for example, six-foot fencing or landscaping) and to require any uses that would be particularly noisy or high‑traffic to come back through planning review rather than be permitted outright. -Process: staff will circulate a clearer, color-coded comparison of the current C‑2 use table and the proposed edits. Commissioners asked for a deadline for comments so staff can prepare a formal rezone and development agreement for public hearing if commissioners wish to proceed.

Next steps: staff will e‑mail the commission a marked use table with suggested deletions and a deadline for commissioner comments; staff and the applicant will work to craft either a development agreement or an ordinance amendment that would record any agreed restrictions with the parcel if the commission moves forward to a public hearing.