Staff proposes downtown zoning-code tweaks to correct ground-floor-use rule and add special‑exception review

Zach, a city planning staff member, presented proposed amendments to the downtown zoning code intended to correct unintended consequences of a recent zoning update. He said the changes would extend higher material and development standards to downtown perimeter and historic-edge areas but remove a mistaken requirement that street-level uses in some residential stretches be commercial — an issue that affects blocks such as Queen City Avenue, where single-family homes and townhomes exist.

Zach said the proposal would convert several uses from "permitted by right" to "permitted by special exception," meaning applicants would appear before the zoning board of adjustment to provide details such as hours of operation and goods sold so the board could evaluate compatibility with district character. Zach also proposed adding "rehabilitation facility" to the list of uses considered in the 1,000-foot separation rules that currently apply to liquor stores, tobacco shops, and similar establishments; staff clarified the change is intended to prevent a liquor store from locating within 1,000 feet of a rehabilitation facility, not to require rehabilitation facilities themselves to be spaced 1,000 feet apart.

Staff said the updates are targeted to downtown and were discussed in earlier administrative meetings; the planning staff offered to answer council questions. The transcript records explanation and clarification but no final council action on the code amendments in the provided segment.