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Commission recommends broad zoning code updates and recodification to improve clarity and meet state/federal requirements
Summary
Planning staff presented comprehensive revisions to the zoning code (chapter 34 recodified and moved toward chapter 54) to align with state and federal law and improve usability; the commission recommended approval 5–0. Changes include permitting group homes and kennels in some districts, removing seldom‑used districts (R4, R5), and adjusting R3 setback rules.
Planning staff presented a comprehensive package of zoning-code changes and recodification intended to align the city's zoning rules with state and federal standards and make the code more accessible and searchable.
Kevin said the work reflects state and federal changes and a desire to make municipal code language clearer. "Because if you've ever read our code, the first question is what did I just read?" Kevin told commissioners, explaining the recodification will move chapter 34 into a searchable chapter 54 and remove duplicative or unused districts. Key staff proposals included reclassifying group homes and adult daycare uses from conditional to permitted in most districts to comply with state and federal nondiscrimination rules, permitting kennels in appropriate districts, removing the R5 undersized-lot district and the unused R4 urban neighborhood district, adjusting R3 site setback requirements to no less than 5 feet, and changing the application deadline from three weeks to four weeks.
Staff said some items were moved out of the zoning-application phase and into the building-permit phase (for example, certain detailed plans), because those items are addressed during building permitting. Fire department staff expressed no concerns about the setback changes during permit review.
Commissioners thanked staff for the effort to produce a clearer, searchable code and asked procedural questions about how the rewrite will handle consistency. After discussion, the commission voted 5–0 to recommend the code updates and recodification to city council.
Next step: the Planning Commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Hastings City Council; staff said the overall rewrite will take additional time as departments coordinate on final language.
