Chester council holds first reading of zoning change to bar trades headquarters in mixed‑use districts

Chester’s council on Nov. 10 held the first reading of Bill 5, a proposed amendment to the city’s planning and zoning code that would prohibit construction‑company or tradespersons’ headquarters in several mixed‑use districts and set a maximum percentage of lot area for outdoor storage in the light industrial commercial (LIC) district.

Unidentified planning staff summarized the intent, saying, “Those districts are essentially our mixed use districts. CBD is our central business district… C‑1 and C‑2R Districts are really our mixed use districts where we encourage a mix of commercial and residential.” Staff told council the rule responds to examples where tradesmen headquarters have become industrial‑in‑character, with “pole barns, parking lots, mulch storage, outdoor storage.”

Councilmembers asked how the prohibition will affect businesses already operating in those districts and whether the ordinance would displace existing industrial uses. Planning staff recommended these headquarters are more appropriate in industrial zoning such as LSC or MSC and said the zoning change aims to protect the city’s mixed‑use vision that emphasizes housing and retail‑oriented commercial activity.

The ordinance also proposes a specific definition of a construction company or tradespersons’ headquarters (to be added in Subsection 1365.02) and would establish a maximum outdoor storage percentage in LIC zoning. The item was presented as a first reading; council did not take a final vote at the meeting.

Bill 6, a separate first reading to reopen vacated Ulrich Street between West 2nd Street and West Front Street, was also placed on the agenda but was not discussed in detail during the meeting. The council will return to these ordinances in subsequent meetings for further consideration.