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Commission advances code change replacing 'church' with 'house of worship' and standardizing 'pharmacy' language
Summary
On first reading the commission advanced Ordinance 43‑24 to replace the term 'church' with 'house of worship' in certain zoning sections and to standardize pharmacy terminology to align with state statute; Planning & Zoning recommended the changes 7–0.
The commission advanced Ordinance 43‑24 on first reading on Aug. 13 after staff described the amendment as a clean‑up to align city land‑development regulations with state statutory language and to avoid disparate treatment of similar assembly uses. Senior planning staff said the Planning & Zoning Board recommended approval (7–0).
Staff note: The term "church" would be replaced with "house of worship" in definitions and in district regulations where comparable permitted uses already exist; some assemblies would remain special exceptions in residential districts. The change is intended to conform to the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) and reduce risk of disparate land‑use regulation of religious assemblies.
Action: The commission voted to approve the ordinance on first reading; the second reading and public hearing are scheduled for Aug. 27.
