Marion — The Marion City Council on Nov. 6 approved three final ordinances and moved forward with initial readings of two code amendments intended to align local land‑use rules with recently enacted state laws.

The council unanimously approved third and final consideration of ordinance No. 25‑28, amending section 242.16 of the Marion Code to revise hours of operation for peddlers, solicitors and transient merchants; ordinance No. 25‑29, establishing a speed limit on Winslow Road; and ordinance No. 25‑30, updating Chapter 340 definitions and rules for nonconforming lots and uses. Council members then opened public hearings and approved initial consideration (first reading) of ordinance No. 25‑31, which updates the zoning board of adjustment variance review criteria to conform to state House File 652, and ordinance No. 25‑32, which revises accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules in response to State File 592.

Planning staff said the zoning changes are largely administrative updates required by state law. "This is in response to a state bill that was passed, the house file 652, regarding the zoning board of adjustment and the review criteria for variances," said Nicole, a city staff member presenting the proposal. The ordinance narrows the circumstances for variance review to numerical, measurable items (area and dimensional standards) and replaces a strict "hardship" standard with the statutory "practical difficulty" or similar language adopted by the state.

On ADUs, Nicole told the council the city must allow accessory dwelling units as a permitted use in any residential district that permits a single‑family dwelling and may not impose stricter review or an owner‑occupancy requirement than the statute allows. She said the city is updating definitions and use tables and adjusting size limits. "Maximum of 1,000 square feet or 50% of that primary home, whichever is larger," Nicole said, summarizing the revised size allowance; staff also noted ADUs must meet applicable building codes and standards such as egress and driveway requirements.

Council discussion focused on implementation timing and practical details; Nicole said legal staff has reviewed the language and that codification will follow the usual clerical process. On the Winslow Road ordinance a council member asked about signage; staff said signs will be installed after the clerk finalizes the codification.

The city approved the final readings of the three ordinances at the meeting; the zoning amendments (25‑31 and 25‑32) were advanced on initial consideration and will return for further readings and final action in a future meeting.

Votes at a glance: ordinance Nos. 25‑28, 25‑29 and 25‑30 were approved on third and final consideration at the Nov. 6 meeting. Ordinances 25‑31 and 25‑32 were approved on initial consideration (first reading); no final votes were taken on those two items.

The changes reflect the city's effort to align local code with state law and to clarify standards for variance review and accessory units, changes that affect property owners, builders and neighborhood review procedures.

Staff contact: Nicole (staff member, planning) presented the zoning items and answered council questions.