Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Ordinance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board reviews major revisions to Village Mixed-Use zoning ordinance, debates accessory-structure limits
Summary
A consultant presented proposed VMU ordinance edits: removing conversion parity, eliminating two conditional uses, reducing conditional-use size to 7,500 sq ft, setting accessory-structure caps at 50% of primary structure (with debate on residential-only application), prohibiting residential in primary ground-floor frontage, and adding shared-parking and bicycle-parking substitutions.
John, a consultant presenting draft edits to the Village Mixed-Use (VMU) ordinance, described several substantive changes under consideration, saying the parity requirement between residential and nonresidential floor area for mixed-use conversions "was felt to be too strict" and would be removed for conversions while retaining a four-unit cap for converted buildings. The presenter also proposed removing heavy repair and wholesaling/warehousing from conditional uses and reducing the maximum conditional-use size from 15,000 square feet to 7,500 square feet.
Board members focused at length on dimensional and accessory-structure language. The draft sets accessory structures to a maximum of 50% of the primary building area, prompting debate over whether that cap should apply to residential properties only or to all uses. One supervisor urged clearer definitions: "I think tying down the definitions will be helpful," and the consultant agreed to narrow the accessory-structure limit to residential accessory structures and to add clarifying language in the ordinance and design guidance. The draft also adds a shared-parking table and allows bicycle parking (eight bicycle spaces to substitute for one car parking space) and prohibits residential uses in the primary ground-floor frontage to preserve storefronts.
