Ruston planners back zoning overlay and target ~100-foot maximum elevation for Lot 15

City Planner Rob White presented a Marina District zoning code text amendment as a work study, saying the Council asked the Planning Commission to find a compromise between a 90-foot and 108-foot maximum elevation and that all measurements under consideration were elevation above sea level. "Civic-grade" design incentives would link any height bonus to required higher-quality design elements, he said.

Chair Moser recommended the Commission pursue a height target of approximately 100 feet for Lot 15 through a zoning overlay, and the other commissioners expressed their agreement. The Commission directed City Planner White to prepare draft overlay language that ties limited additional elevation to the civic-grade design standards, while reviewing the feasibility of optional elements. Earlier in the meeting Commissioner Kendall and Commissioner Shingledecker moved and seconded routine meeting motions (agenda and minutes); both motions passed 5-0.

The Commission discussed legal constraints for an overlay (it cannot apply to a single parcel) and asked staff to confirm defensibility with the City Attorney. White told commissioners an overlay could be structured as a "height districts map and standards" tied to design requirements and would not necessarily take longer than a district-wide text amendment. The Commission requested staff return with formal code language, anticipated environmental review, and a public hearing before any Council adoption.

Actions at the meeting included passage of procedural motions to approve the agenda and prior minutes (both 5-0) and a formal direction by consensus for staff to pursue the zoning overlay approach and draft code language supporting an approximate 100-foot maximum elevation for Lot 15.