Ukiah Planning Commission unanimously recommends new Open Space zoning district to City Council

The Ukiah Planning Commission voted unanimously Oct. 22 to recommend that the City Council introduce an ordinance creating an Open Space zoning district in the Ukiah City Code.

Planning staff presented the draft ordinance and the commission adopted a resolution forwarding the recommendation to council after questions about permitted uses, enforcement and timing. "The words open space are mentioned 73 times throughout our general plan," Jesse Davis, chief planning manager, told the commission as he framed the ordinance as an implementation tool for the general plan.

The draft ordinance would create an Open Space zoning district that staff said is intended to sit alongside (and in some cases over) existing land-use designations such as public facilities and agriculture. Among the provisions described by staff: residential or caretaker units were removed from the draft; the district would encourage reverse setbacks to buffer adjacent residential uses;…