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Council discusses targeted overlay and map cleanup for 5th West parcels
Summary
At a May 26 work session the council reviewed proposed zoning-map changes for the 5th West area, weighing a commercial overlay to preserve existing businesses and allow owners to keep animals while limiting high-density RM development because of sewer and access constraints. No formal vote was taken.
The council used a May 26 work session to review proposed zoning and map updates focused on the 5th West corridor, hearing staff describe a targeted commercial-overlay approach intended to give property owners options without broadly converting land to multi‑family uses.
Staff member said the parcel at issue is currently zoned commercial‑manufacturing and that some landowners have asked about accessory dwelling units and keeping animals, which the existing RA/RA‑equivalent rules do not allow. Council members raised practical objections to putting RM (multi‑family) density in the location because of limited road access and no sewer service, saying the site is “very nonconducive” to a large residential project.
The staff proposal discussed during the session would preserve the property’s commercial base while adding a specific overlay along the west side so owners could seek conditional approval for alternate uses; staff described the overlay as a way to offer “two possibilities instead of one” without removing commercial rights outright. Council members asked staff to clarify overlay boundaries and code language and recommended a follow‑up workshop with planning and zoning staff before staff incurs the expense of mailing 300‑foot notices and scheduling a public hearing.
Council members also identified several small cleanup items on the map—an 85‑foot strip near a business, a lodge lot that has requested commercial designation, and parcels whose current manufacturing label does not reflect existing uses (gyms, clinics, small retail). Members voiced a preference for addressing the lodge lot more quickly (staff was asked to send notices for that lot) and for assembling a focused planning‑and‑zoning workshop to refine overlay limits and notice requirements before initiating full public hearings.
No formal motions or votes were recorded during the work session on the zoning changes; council members directed staff to return with refined overlay boundaries, legal notice guidance (including who within 300 feet must be notified), and a recommendation on timing for public hearings. The council also asked staff (Brooke/Trinity were named by members as staff points of contact) to update maps and confirm whether some parcels should be relabeled from manufacturing to general commercial.
