MONROE — The Monroe City Planning Board on Dec. 4 approved text amendments to Section 4.3 (commercial zoning districts) and Section 5.1 (mixed‑use zoning districts) of the Unified Development Ordinance to close gaps that had allowed some residential projects to proceed by right in those districts.

Planner Carrie Mendler presented the proposed language and said the changes make Sections 4.3 and 5.1 consistent with earlier amendments adopted by the city. Mendler reviewed prior actions this year: a text amendment that removed multifamily as a permitted by‑right use in many districts and required legislative rezoning for multifamily projects, and a separate amendment that reduced the threshold requiring a rezoning from 50 lots to 10 lots.

Mendler said staff identified remaining gaps where residential development (for example single‑family, townhomes or other unit‑based projects) could still occur by right in commercial or mixed‑use districts. The newly adopted language would require developments between 10 and 99 units to be processed as Conditional Districts and projects of 100 units or more to be processed as Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) in the affected sections of the UDO, mirroring the standards already applied in residential zoning sections.

Board members asked clarifying questions about terminology and thresholds. Mendler explained the staff used "units" in the draft language to encompass townhomes and other unit‑based developments; she noted that some single‑family detached projects that are developed as single rental parcels can be treated as multifamily under the ordinance and therefore are covered. Members also discussed how the amendments close a loophole that would otherwise allow large townhome developments in mixed‑use districts without legislative review.

Following discussion, the board voted to recommend adoption of the land‑use compliance finding and adopted the ordinance amendment to Section 4.3 and Section 5.1 as drafted. Motions carried.

What happens next: staff will draft final ordinance language and forward it for Council consideration. The amendments aim to ensure planning board and City Council review of larger residential projects regardless of the underlying zoning category.