Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Engagement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning staff to launch zoning office hours and outreach as ordinance work continues
Summary
Planning staff previewed a new outreach approach — appointment-based "zoning ordinance office hours" and periodic surveys — intended to broaden participation in the yearlong zoning update process and to collect data that could inform future short-term rental decisions.
Planning Department staff told the Birmingham planning board on July 8 that they are preparing "zoning ordinance office hours," an appointment-based outreach tool to let residents meet with planners at convenient times to discuss zoning questions and to collect ongoing input for the yearlong zoning update.
Staff said the office-hours idea will supplement the current consultant-led engagement (Houssey Levine) and that they plan daytime, evening and occasional weekend options. The staff also suggested periodic short surveys to take the community’s "temperature" on major elements of the zoning work and to increase awareness ahead of future milestones.
Why it matters: Board members urged pairing the office-hours outreach with more proactive communication and a short survey to obtain usable data ahead of decisions — a request the planning staff said they intend to pursue. The outreach effort is intended to improve participation beyond traditional meeting attendance and to feed into the zoning update’s preliminary recommendations later this year.
Next steps: Staff said they will finalize the office-hours calendar, coordinate communications, and notify the board when the signup tools and survey are live. The zoning update timeline anticipates substantive review of preliminary recommendations in late summer or early fall.
