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Council buys ArcGIS Urban planning software and discusses storage moratorium options
Summary
After an Esri demonstration, the council approved a one-time purchase of ArcGIS Urban for $49,000 plus $3,300 in annual licensing to support scenario planning and the comp plan update. Separately, staff briefed council on moratorium options for indoor storage, outdoor laydown areas and RV storage and sought further direction.
Planning staff brought representatives from Esri to demonstrate ArcGIS Urban, a 3-D, scenario-based planning platform staff said would help visualize zoning, density and infrastructure impacts for the city’s comprehensive-plan update. Judy Fong of Esri showed scenario-building tools, capacity metrics (housing units, trips, economic figures) and visualization features; staff recommended a one-time implementation purchase of $49,000 with an annual licensing cost of approximately $3,300. Council unanimously approved the purchase and designated Tommy Lee as the GIS gatekeeper for training and use.
Later in the meeting planning staff reviewed an ongoing moratorium that covers indoor storage facilities, outdoor storage/laydown areas and RV/boat storage. Staff outlined options ranging from allowing indoor storage only as part of mixed-use projects, making storage a conditional use in specific zoning districts, limiting outdoor storage as an ancillary use to primary industrial uses with screening requirements, or retaining the status quo. Councilmembers discussed aesthetics, placement near arterials, thresholds for allowed outdoor storage percentages and the role of conditional-use review; staff offered to meet with councilmembers individually to refine options and return with code amendments if desired.
Next steps: planning will implement ArcGIS Urban once procurement steps are complete and will return with tailored moratorium/code-change recommendations after one-on-one briefings with council members.
