State approves Newport housing chapter; staff to seek council workshop on companion zoning

The Newport Planning Board was told the state has approved the city’s housing chapter, a staff member said, clearing the way for proposed zoning changes to implement the plan’s housing goals.

Trish, a planning staff member, told the board the state’s review was complimentary and that consultants have drafted companion zoning language to carry out the chapter’s policies. "The comp plan sets the stage for the zoning," Trish said. "So it's the ideas and the values and how we move forward and the zoning is actually how it gets enacted."

The staff recommended presenting the proposed zoning changes to the City Council in a workshop format so councilors can review the scope of changes in a less formal setting and raise questions before a formal council review. Trish said the city is aiming to schedule the workshop in December, or if that is not possible, in January, and that she will canvass the planning board for dates and propose them to the city manager.

Board members asked about the review process after the workshop. Trish said the council will refer the zoning amendments to the planning board for a consistency opinion and that the council process will involve additional council hearings: "It'll take 2 hearings for the city council, 1 hearing and 1 meeting," she said.

Staff also noted the planning board presented the housing chapter at the regional American Planning Association conference and received positive feedback. "We did a presentation on the housing chapter that was really well received by the planning community," Trish said.

Next steps: staff will propose workshop dates to the city manager and circulate information to board members. The planning board will prepare to review the council referral and provide a consistency opinion once the council formally forwards the zoning amendments.