Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting - 2024-01-10

Detailed briefing

Zoning Board of Appeals — January 10, 2024 ATTENDEES: The transcript identifies Kim Morris, Michael Berman, Bob Thoma and Bob Buckner, who joined by Zoom. Maddie and Sue also participated, but their surnames are rendered inconsistently in the transcript. • The board approved the prior meeting minutes without any stated corrections. No public comments were received; no member of the public was identified as present or online during that portion of the meeting. • Bob Thoma was elected chair for 2024 following a roll-call vote. Sue was elected vice chair in a separate roll-call vote. The transcript contains inconsistent renderings of several members’ names, so a reliable vote count is not stated here. • The board approved its 2024 schedule as presented: meetings will continue on the second Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. Applications are due by noon on the date of the preceding month’s meeting, allowing time for newspaper notices and other required preparation. • Staff first said no application had met the deadline, then corrected that statement and confirmed an application had been submitted for February consideration. Staff had spoken with the project’s architect earlier that day, but the property and requested zoning action were not identified. • Members found that the bylaws still say officer elections occur in June. The board voted to recommend a correction to City Council. Staff committed to contacting Jim Ramer to address the change, but the exact replacement language or election date was not stated. • Staff said the revised zoning code draft was expected to go to the Planning Commission on January 18. The rewrite would reduce the city’s zoning districts from about 17 to nine, consolidate several residential districts, revisit front-yard setbacks and add tables, diagrams and a short summary. Staff said these changes are intended to make the code easier to use and may reduce some variance requests. Worth watching: 1. The bylaw correction still requires follow-through with Jim Ramer and consideration by City Council. 2. The February application’s details and hearing arrangements were not provided at this meeting. 3. Public release of the zoning code draft, outreach to builders and architects, and a possible joint meeting with the Planning Commission remain to be scheduled or confirmed. Upcoming: The Planning Commission was expected to review the draft zoning code January 18; the Zoning Board will continue meeting on second Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. Why it matters: The code rewrite could simplify residential zoning rules and change when property owners need variances.

No open public follow-ups are linked to this meeting yet.