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City staff proposes requiring Specific Use Permits for gas stations, car washes, auto repair shops and data centers
Summary
Staff proposed amending the zoning ordinance to require Specific Use Permits (SUPs) for new gasoline stations, car washes, auto repair shops, data centers, storage warehouses and concrete batch plants. Existing establishments would be grandfathered as nonconforming uses; data-center applicants would be asked to provide utility and environmental information.
City staff said March 23 that the proposed zoning-ordinance amendment would require Specific Use Permits for several uses often associated with operational, traffic or environmental concerns.
Shashi Kumar told the joint City Council and Planning & Zoning Commission that the amendment’s intent is to "preserve neighborhood character while promoting economic development" and to use the SUP process as a case-by-case tool for addressing traffic, noise, operational intensity and environmental compatibility. "Any gasoline service station will require an SUP moving forward," he said; staff explained that the change would apply even when a use would otherwise be allowed in LC3 zoning.
The staff presentation also covered car washes and auto repair shops (new proposals would require SUP review), emerging trends such as data centers (staff said the amendment would add a data-center section asking for water and electricity capacity information), and concrete batch plants. Staff emphasized that existing businesses would be grandfathered as nonconforming uses so long as the use remains continuous; the city attorney added that a catastrophic event that renders a use inactive for six months or longer may affect nonconforming status.
Staff said a draft of the proposed amendment will be included in the P&Z April 8 packet; P&Z will provide a recommendation and the council is scheduled for a first reading April 20. Staff estimated there had been six inquiries and two returned protests as of the March 23 meeting.
