Lebanon council adopts comprehensive zoning overhaul after public debate over industrial and spec warehouses

The Lebanon City Council voted to adopt a comprehensive update to the city’s zoning code (Title 14) on second reading, concluding weeks of public comment and internal debate about industrial and spec-warehouse uses.

The measure, read as Order 257286, was moved by Councilor Carmack and seconded by Councilor Ashley and approved by voice vote. The update includes revisions to zoning maps and code text; staff confirmed the package incorporates prior design standards the council requested.

Why it matters: speakers at the meeting framed the vote as consequential for the city’s economic development strategy. DJ Arellano, who identified himself as representing Prologis, thanked the council “for your leadership for passing the amended zoning text change” and asked the council to confirm the amendment on second reading so companies can continue to invest and create jobs. Jim Rodriguez of Lee & Associates said permitting spec warehouse product helps close deals quickly and urged the council to support the changes so manufacturing users can locate in Lebanon.

Council discussion emphasized process and protections. Councilor Crow said the code update followed a long public process and praised the public-private partnerships that he said will bring jobs and tax revenue. Councilor Morehead said he intends to vote in favor but reiterated a prior effort to grandfather existing parcels, adding he hopes the council will revisit design standards later to reduce variance requests. One council member (identified in the record as Speaker 14) expressed disappointment with external communications about the change and raised concerns about potential legal exposure if the city removed previously allowed uses.

Several residents provided data and criticism during the public-comment period. Councilor Berta presented multi-year property-tax totals for named companies and a local vacancy analysis — saying the city has about 104 industrial buildings with 11 vacancies (about a 7.56% vacancy rate) — and asked those figures be entered in the minutes. Berta also asked the mayor to clarify how the term “developer” is applied.

What the council decided: The council approved the comprehensive Title 14 update on second reading, along with closely related items that address material standards and signage in the code. The votes were taken by voice; no recorded roll-call tallies were included in the transcript.

Next steps and context: The update will take effect according to the city’s ordinance process. Councilors said they expect future follow-up work on design standards and implementation details; several speakers asked staff to provide price estimates and additional details for specific related projects (lighting, sidewalks) before new spending commitments are made.