Council approves rezoning ordinance for clustered West Main Street parcels

The South Bend City Council on July 13 approved substitute Bill 30-26, rezoning several properties along West Main Street from Urban Neighborhood 1 (U1) to Urban Neighborhood 2 (U2).

Mark Hill, a zoning specialist speaking for city staff, summarized the petition and site plan, saying, “This is a petition to rezone these properties from Urban Neighborhood 1 to Urban Neighborhood 2,” and described the proposal as five duplexes with U2 standards that allow up to four units per lot and height limits of roughly 35 feet. Hill told the council staff believes utilities and on- and off-street parking could adequately serve the proposed development.

During the committee session and again in full council, members said committee deliberations and added outreach helped shape their vote. After closing the public hearing and taking up the bill on third reading, the council approved the substitute ordinance; the clerk recorded nine ayes on the roll call.

Why it matters: rezoning from U1 to U2 changes allowable housing density and form on the parcels cited in the ordinance, potentially allowing attached multi-unit housing where single-family forms previously predominated. Supporters framed the change as consistent with the city’s West Side neighborhood plan and its comprehensive-plan guidance.

What happens next: the ordinance passed third reading and will be enacted according to municipal rules; implementation details such as building permits and site compliance will follow through the city's permitting process.

Vote and procedural note: the council moved the session into the Committee of the Whole for consideration, the committee returned a favorable recommendation to the full council, and the council passed the substitute on third reading with the roll-call tally recorded as nine ayes.