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Council weighs options as citizen petition could change zoning ahead of November ballot
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Summary
Spring City council discussed a citizen petition that would change lot‑size zoning to half‑acre pending certification; staff said the new zoning takes effect upon certification until the election unless the council repeals or substitutes the ordinance. Council debated alternatives, planning & zoning process and conflict‑of‑interest concerns.
Councilmembers spent extensive time Wednesday discussing a citizen petition and its potential effects on the town’s zoning. Chris Anderson (S5), who raised the matter, described legal advice from the city attorney that the council had been advised Van Buren vacated a Planning & Zoning seat and that the municipal code currently lacks a residency requirement for commission members; she had proposed an ordinance to add residency going forward.
The more time‑sensitive matter for the council was a petition that, if certified, would change lot‑size rules (moving to half‑acre minimums) and take effect until the earlier of the election or repeal. Staff said the county indicated the referendum could appear on the November ballot this year. Councilmembers reviewed options to avoid the interim zoning change — for example, repealing the ordinance now and replacing it with a different proposal — but recognized they cannot take final action at a work meeting and would need to place any ordinance or repeal before the next council meeting for formal action.
Debate centered on whether the town should accept a binary choice (half‑acre vs. one‑acre) or explore more nuanced alternatives. Members suggested overlay districts, opt‑in heritage or design standards, or other approaches that could preserve historic character while allowing smaller lots outside the core historic blocks. Several councilmembers raised transparency and ethical concerns, noting that elected officials who own property in affected areas should declare conflicts and rely on planning & zoning recommendations and a public hearing record before final action.
Council agreed to put the topic on the next council meeting agenda and to solicit planning & zoning recommendations and community input. Staff noted that if the petition is certified, the altered zoning becomes effective until the election or repeal, creating an interim period councilors said they want to address promptly.
Next steps: place a public‑hearing item on the upcoming regular council agenda, ask planning & zoning to review any proposed substitute ordinance, and consider alternatives (overlays/nuanced options) to present to voters or adopt before certification.