Planning Commission special Meeting

Detailed briefing

PLANNING COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING — FEBRUARY 22, 2024 ATTENDEES: Planning Commission members and city staff; residents participated at City Hall and through Zoom. • Staff gave a conflict-of-interest refresher. Commissioners were told that owning affected property or working in a relevant profession is not automatically a conflict. Recusal is required when a member would be affected uniquely rather than in the same way as the public. No commissioner reported a conflict. • The commission reached informal consensus on much of the zoning rewrite: a reorganized code, consolidation from 17 zoning districts to nine, new residential lot dimensions, average-based front setbacks, a 560-square-foot minimum dwelling size, flag lots, accessory dwelling units, and residential options including duplexes and triplexes. Triplexes would require special land-use review. These were not yet adopted or forwarded as a completed recommendation. • Chickens would be allowed only within the proposed agricultural overlay. Commissioners supported placing that overlay on western properties, not in the Arbor and Ottawa streets area. Staff said the overlay concerns commercial agricultural activity and would not prevent ordinary gardens or fruit trees elsewhere. • Commissioners initially supported accessory commercial units for lower-traffic activities such as professional services, counseling, tutoring, music lessons, hair services, pet grooming and tailoring. After residents raised concerns about traffic, parking, neighborhood businesses and impacts on downtown, the commission reconsidered and removed accessory commercial units from the current recommendation. The subject could return later. • The treatment of Bay Street properties remains unresolved. The draft would move properties now classified as transitional residential into the central business district. Residents warned that this could permit larger commercial or condominium development. Commissioners agreed that affected owners and staff need further discussion before the full zoning package advances. A separate correction was also identified to place Holy Childhood in the community district. • Residents also raised concerns about density, green space, parking, the Redevelopment Ready Communities program, meeting audio and unstable Zoom access. Staff said the zoning update is intended to align the code with the adopted master plan and that the existing code already meets the cited RRC zoning requirements. Worth watching: 1. What zoning classification and development standards are proposed for the current Bay Street transitional residential properties. 2. Whether the final code continues to include the 560-square-foot minimum, duplexes, triplexes and flag lots. 3. Whether accessory commercial units return in a later proposal. Upcoming: Special Planning Commission meeting on March 7, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, limited to the transitional residential district issue. Why it matters: The unresolved Bay Street decision must be addressed before the commission completes its recommendation on a citywide zoning rewrite.

Agenda items

• 5A · Discussion — Zoning Code Updatediscussed

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

Related issues

• Zoning / Land Usediscussed
• Short-Term Rentalsdiscussed