Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Site Plan Building Height topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City Council took final say on major site plans and building heights, Community Appearance Board told
Summary
Staff told the Community Appearance Board that a recently passed City Council amendment gives the council final approval of major site plans and authority over building-height increases; the board retains an advisory role on aesthetics and landscaping.
A staff member told the Community Appearance Board that the City Council has amended the City’s site-plan procedure so that major site plans will receive final approval from the City Council rather than from staff or the Community Appearance Board. The staff member said this change applies to commercial projects and projects larger than a duplex or single-family home.
The staff member explained the ordinance also shifted authority over requests for increased building height away from the board to the City Council. “It used to read the increased heights are proposed and approved by the Community Appearance Board, but now it reads approved by the city council in conjunction with the site plan approval process,” the staff member said. The board will continue to review landscaping, layout and aesthetic details in an advisory capacity after site-plan approval.
Board members expressed frustration that the change reduces the board’s decision-making role. One member said the council was “not asking for input” and others noted the board’s ability to influence outcomes will now be limited to advisory comments. The staff member said the amendment to the city code (the staff referred to an amendment to section 1 10 6 2 4 concerning building height) completed the council process and had passed.
The staff member offered to brief the board again when the next site-plan application arrives so members would understand how review and advisory input will work under the new process. The staff member also clarified that small projects, such as single-family homes or duplexes, will not go before the City Council for site-plan approval under the revision.
What happens next: staff said it will notify the board when a qualifying site-plan application is scheduled so members can prepare advisory comments. The board did not take a formal vote on this matter during the meeting.
