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Lowell council unanimously adopts Article 8 amendment to allow motorcycle and recreational-vehicle sales in MU-2
Summary
The Lowell City Council voted unanimously to amend Article 8 of the development ordinance to add motorcycle sales and recreational-vehicle sales (new and used) as listed uses in the MU-2 (Mixed Use) district. Council and staff debated whether the change should be district‑wide or limited to a single property.
The Lowell City Council on a unanimous vote adopted a text amendment to Article 8 of the city's development ordinance to add "motorcycle sales and service and recreational vehicle sales new and used" as listed uses in the MU-2 (Mixed Use) district.
Staff explained the amendment at the public hearing as a straightforward addition to the MU-2 use list. "What is proposed is just adding the two uses — motorcycle sales and then auto sales in the MU-2 District," a staff member said during the presentation. Council members asked whether the change would apply to the entire MU-2 district or only to a single parcel; staff and council members repeatedly clarified that adding the uses to the ordinance would make them available for any property already zoned MU-2, subject to other zoning and accessory standards.
Residents and council members raised concerns about potential impacts on nearby residential areas. One commenter suggested the property owner should pursue a site-specific rezoning instead of broadening MU-2 generally: "Why can't we just have that individual just rezone it to what his criteria needs for his specific building instead of muddying it all for MU-2?" the commenter asked. City staff replied that a rezoning is an option but that the text amendment is the mechanism before the council that night.
After closing the public hearing the council moved to approve the amendment and voted unanimously to adopt it. The amendment expands the written list of permitted uses in MU-2; other zoning limitations such as minimum acreage, storage and accessory use standards will still apply for any proposal under the revised code.
What happens next: the ordinance amendment will be incorporated into the city's zoning code and will allow property owners and prospective businesses on MU-2 parcels to seek permits or site approvals consistent with the amended use list. Council members noted that site-level constraints and accessory standards remain in place to limit inappropriate uses in residential portions of MU-2.
