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Planning commission reports major zoning recodification milestone, adds building‑type tables
Summary
Todd Gressey of the Planning Commission updated the committee on a nearly complete draft recodification of the borough zoning code, including a new second table linking allowable land uses to building types to clarify where historic adaptive reuse conflicts arise; planners said the exercise is policy‑neutral and intended to illuminate existing rules for council review.
Todd Gressey, representing the Planning Commission, told the Finance & Administration Committee on Feb. 17 that a near‑complete draft has been circulated to the planning commission for review as part of a borough‑wide zoning recodification effort.
Gressey said the team added a second table in the land‑use chapter to indicate which land uses are permissible in which building types, as well as the existing district land‑use table. The addition aims to reveal cases where a use is allowed only in certain building types and to prevent unintended consequences for adaptive reuse of existing house‑type structures in commercial corridors.
“This is a policy neutral exercise,” Gressey said, describing the draft as a reorganization rather than a change in policy. He told the committee planners are cross‑checking the new draft against the existing code by marking moved text and reviewing complicated chapters to ensure provisions carry forward.
Committee members raised examples where the prior code made conversions (for example, a house structure becoming a dental office with units above) trigger mixed‑use or multi‑family rules that required extensive exterior changes. Presenters said the recodification is intended to make such rules clearer and easier for council to evaluate, not to impose new constraints without separate policy decisions.
Planners also noted work to add internal hyperlinks and correct table numbering to make the final ordinance easier to navigate. The planning commission will continue its review; staff and counsel will determine next steps and public‑review opportunities before forwarding a recommended draft to council.
Next steps: planning commission and staff will complete cross‑checks, produce a clean draft and seek counsel direction on public release and how to proceed toward formal council consideration.
