Planning Commission initiates major reorganization of planning code Article 2

The Planning Commission voted on July 24 to initiate a multi‑phase effort to reorganize Article 2 of the city's Planning Code, a staff effort that department planners said is intended to consolidate scattered use definitions and replace existing use tables with zoning control tables modeled on other parts of the code.

Aaron Star of the Planning Department introduced the 460‑page draft and described a multi‑phase approach: phase one reorganizes Article 2 and consolidates definitions; later phases would amend Articles 7 and 8 to conform to the new format. Star said staff had held community outreach sessions and legal review prior to initiation.

Why it matters: Staff framed the rewrite as primarily editorial and organizational, not a change in substantive policy. Several public speakers and neighborhood groups said the item as agendized lacked a clear title describing what Article 2 contains and asked for more outreach and clearer public materials. Rose Hilson and others urged the department to expand community meetings and provide clearer packet materials before formal hearings.

What the commission did: After hearing public comment and discussion, commissioners moved to initiate the ordinance and set a date for a public hearing to consider the proposed amendments. Staff recommended a hearing window that would allow additional time for a staff report.

Next steps: Staff will prepare a full staff report ahead of the public hearing and follow up with additional outreach; the commission set a tentative hearing window (October timeframe) to allow for a complete staff report and public review.