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Planning staff asks commissioners to review zoning text and Old Town C‑5 proposals ahead of April meetings
Summary
Staff presented two handouts with proposed zoning‑text changes (general strategic proposals and Old Town C‑5 recommendations), explained overlay districts and mixed‑use options, and asked commissioners to review highlighted areas for discussion at upcoming meetings with a target to bring recommended text to the Board of Aldermen by June–July.
Olive Branch — Planning staff distributed two handouts outlining strategic changes to the city's zoning ordinance and asked commissioners to study the proposals, with particular attention to suggested revisions for the Old Town C‑5 district.
A staff member said one handout contains general strategic proposals for the zoning ordinance and a second focuses on Old Town (C‑5) adjustments. Staff described many ideas as sound planning principles that are already incorporated in parts of the current work, while other suggested changes are new and need contextual review to determine whether they fit Olive Branch.
The presentation highlighted possible policy tools, including an overlay district for highway corridors that would add targeted standards (for example, sign height and design), and a potential rural‑conservation district to protect tree canopy. Staff noted mixed‑use neighborhood centers and small‑scale mixed‑use districts could be appropriate in targeted locations rather than applying large PUD standards everywhere.
"These are sound planning ideas, but you have to look at them in terms of context and work our code because we don't want to write a code that is not effective in terms of ... applying it," the staff member said, urging commissioners to "picture Old Town, walk in Old Town, and really ask yourself, okay, is this gonna work?" Staff proposed that commissioners bring back the handouts with comments marked in color (green where ideas are already incorporated, yellow where they are not) and planned to return revised materials in the April packet.
Staff also said an Old Town design‑review meeting scheduled for the month would produce community input staff could incorporate, and a three‑person working group would review ideas after the next commission meeting. The stated goal is to bring recommended zoning‑text changes to the Board of Aldermen for consideration by June or July and to begin detailed map work after that.
Commissioners were informed to expect longer meetings once the commission moves into map‑by‑map considerations in the summer months. The meeting adjourned after commissioners were assigned the materials as 'homework' for the April session.
