Hudson planning commission forwards LDC revision priorities to council and requests 90-day moratorium on public-hearing applications

The Hudson City Planning Commission voted Aug. 11 to forward its list of recommended Land Development Code (LDC) changes to City Council and to request a 90-day moratorium on applications that require a public hearing before the commission.

Commissioners described a backlog of council-initiated text amendments and a need for uninterrupted time to address broader LDC issues, including density standards, townhouses, assisted-living compatibility, and building height and fire-safety concerns raised during discussion. ‘‘I’d like to make a motion to forward our list of recommendations of review of the LDC to city council. And along with that recommendation request a 90 day moratorium on all not all applications, to planning commission,’’ a commissioner said when introducing the motion; the motion included a clarification that the moratorium should apply specifically to applications that require a public hearing.

City solicitor Mr. Pitchford explained the appropriate mechanism: a council resolution imposing the moratorium, likely with an emergency clause if the council wanted it to take effect quickly. He also clarified that applications already completed prior to any moratorium should still be heard, while incomplete applications could be deferred until the moratorium ended or the code changes were complete.

Commissioners discussed length and scope; some favored a 90-day initial period with the option to request an extension if needed. After discussion, the motion to forward the commission's LDC recommendations to City Council and to request the 90-day moratorium passed 5–0. The commission will deliver its prioritized list to council for consideration and asked that council indicate which items it wants prioritized for the commission to address during any moratorium period.