Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council to vote next week on rezoning several downtown lots after mixed feedback
Summary
City staff recommended rezoning a remaining block of downtown lots from medium‑density residential (R‑3) to general business (D‑2); council members debated whether a step‑down to D‑1 (professional office) would better preserve housing. The item will return to council for a formal vote next Tuesday.
The Cody City Council heard extended discussion on a proposal to rezone Lots 1 through 12 and portions of Lots 15–16 in Block 14 from R‑3 (medium‑density residential) to D‑2 (general business). Planning staff explained the request, noting most surrounding parcels are already D‑2 and that neighborhood notification produced 32 mailed notices with one objection and two explicit no‑responses.
Council members and staff debated land‑use tradeoffs: planning staff (speaker 7) said D‑2 allows a broader mix of commercial uses and is consistent with nearby parcels, while several council members voiced concern that D‑1 (professional office) would better protect existing housing stock and neighborhood character. One council member noted prior rezoning efforts were rejected by neighbors in 2006 and during a 2014 update.
The discussion also covered implementation safeguards: staff said any new commercial development would still be subject to commercial site plan review, architectural controls in the Historic Overlay District, size limits (maximum building height under the current ordinance), and parking exemptions that apply in parts of the downtown area. Planning staff noted an applicant had earlier pursued a conditional‑use approach for home‑based professional offices but objected to encumbering future sales with conditional‑use restrictions, prompting the current rezoning request.
No formal council action was taken at the meeting. Members agreed to place the rezoning request on the next council agenda for a formal vote so the matter can be decided with the full council present.
