Council delays vote on broad zoning and subdivision rewrite, citing volume and public access issues
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Summary
After debate, the Green Bay Common Council voted 8-4 to hold action on extensive zoning and subdivision code changes (about 93 discrete changes) until the next council meeting, following concerns that city website access and public review were insufficient.
The Green Bay Common Council voted 8-4 on Oct. 21 to hold first-reading action on sweeping zoning and subdivision code changes tied to the new comprehensive plan, after members and residents urged more time to review what staff described as a large set of proposed edits.
The proposed package — described in committee and planning commission materials as roughly 93 discrete changes to the zoning and subdivision code — would alter development standards, impervious-surface rules and other regulations the city relies on to manage land use.
Alder John Johnson moved to hold the item until the council's next meeting; Alder Grant seconded the motion. "93 changes, guys. And plan commission is where the work happens, and we couldn't access the documents," Johnson said, citing problems with public access to the city's published materials. The motion carried 8-4.
Why it matters: The zoning and subdivision code determines what types of housing and development are allowed across the city. Supporters of the rewrite said the updates are intended to increase housing supply and attract development, while critics and some council members said the volume of change and limited public access warranted more time for review.
Concerns raised during debate included a recent outage or access problems with the city website and CivicClerk, which left some council members and many residents without an opportunity to review the full proposed code changes before the meeting. Council members who supported a hold said they wanted additional stakeholder outreach and more time to confirm the draft language.
Staff perspective: Planning staff and the director urged moving the process along and noted that the work began with studies and stakeholder meetings and that many changes reflected prior recommendations. Staff also said there are two readings and that the second reading provides another opportunity for amendments.
Votes and next steps: The motion to hold the zoning/subdivision ordinance package passed 8 to 4. Staff said that holding the matter will delay formal code action until the next council meeting (the item will return for further consideration). If the council advances the matter later, it will still require a second reading to become ordinance.
Ending: Council members said they must balance the policy urgency of increasing housing supply with the need for transparent public review of large code revisions. The item will return to the council agenda on the next scheduled meeting date.
