Commissioners agree in principle to refer downtown to master plan, table broader Anna 2050 changes

Planning staff presented proposed amendments to the Anna 2050 comprehensive plan on Aug. 3, asking the commission to consider referencing the downtown master plan in place of repeating downtown land‑use lists and to remove explicit multifamily (apartments/condominiums) references in some place types.

Staff described the city's growth since 2010 and said the proposed change would either remove multifamily references in downtown/regional corridor/urban living place types or remove land‑use lists from place types altogether and leave specific uses to zoning. As staff explained, "what we're proposing is to amend the place type for downtown to specifically reference the downtown master plan rather than outlining the uses," which would direct readers to the more detailed downtown plan.

Commissioners asked whether removing land‑use references would make the comprehensive plan less useful as a guide and whether entitled multifamily projects would be grandfathered; staff replied that entitled projects remain entitled and that any rezoning or comprehensive‑plan amendment would require its own public hearings. Commissioners also pressed for clearer rationale connecting the housing report's finding that "84% of Anna's commuters travel out of the city for work every day" to the proposed multifamily changes; staff acknowledged the connection in general terms but agreed to provide clearer documentation.

Given the open questions and requests for more detail, commissioners moved and voted to table the comprehensive‑plan amendment to the Sept. 9 meeting and asked staff to bring revised language removing the three multifamily references identified in the packet.