Planning & Zoning Commission approves broad zoning-code rewrite across business and industrial districts

The Plain Planning & Zoning Commission on May 20 approved five zoning-code amendments — ZC‑25‑8, ZC‑25‑9, ZC‑25‑10, ZC‑25‑11 and ZC‑25‑12 — that update use classifications in multiple business and industrial districts and remove an unused Office/Laboratory/Research district. Each amendment passed on a 5‑0 vote after public hearings were opened and closed with no speakers.

The amendments replace detailed, legacy SIC‑based lists with broader use categories intended to simplify administration and to reflect modern development. Planning staff said the changes remove a 1987 SIC‑based classification system and consolidate many specific permitted uses under single, general labels (for example, listing ‘‘professional office’’ instead of dozens of narrowly named office types). The rewrite also moves some previously listed uses into conditional‑use status so they can be reviewed by the Board of Zoning Appeals for location‑specific impacts.

Staff…