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Commission advances multiple land-use and conservation ordinances, approves one second-reading ordinance
Summary
The commission passed a second-reading ordinance correcting a land-use map designation and moved a package of ordinances affecting Fishers Island and a 100-acre conservation parcel to second-reading/public hearing. Staff said changes largely align zoning with conservation purchases.
The City Commission took a batch of land-use and zoning actions that staff described as part of the city’s conservation and housekeeping efforts.
Amy Skinner, director of the planning and building department, outlined a suite of ordinances intended to align future land use and zoning for properties the city purchased for conservation. She said the items include: an amendment to the land-use map for approximately 0.19 acres at 7 Old Mission Avenue (Ordinance 2026-02), rezoning and land-use amendments for roughly 4.55 acres near Beacon Street and East Park Avenue (Ordinance 2026-03/04) and a set of ordinances affecting Fishers Island parcels (Ordinances 2026-05 through 2026-07) intended to place newly acquired upland and waterward acres into recreation/open-space and open-land conservation categories.
Commissioners described the Beacon Street packet as a conservation success, and staff said the open-land conservation designation is intended to be the city’s most restrictive category to limit development. "Our open land conservation land use category is our most restrictive land use category; it's virtually undevelopable," Skinner said.
Commissioners passed Ordinance 2026-02 (the 0.19-acre map amendment at 7 Old Mission Avenue) on second reading. Several other ordinances were moved to second reading and scheduled for public hearings, reflecting planning-board recommendations and staff requests for future public hearings.
Why it matters: The ordinances will place several city-owned parcels into conservation and government-use zoning, formalizing staff’s intent to protect upland and waterward areas and to complete the Fish Island Preserve. That can limit development opportunities, preserve green space and shape future mobility or preservation programs.
What’s next: The items scheduled for second reading and public hearing will return to the commission on their scheduled public hearing dates for final action.
