I think redevelopment authority to order roll call, please. Jalali is excused. Joseph Fear Kim, maker here Yanks. There are 5 presence and one absent being Councilmember Commissioner Yang and won excused now I'm at all I wasn't here, but I'm here. I'm sorry. Johnson, thanks here. Okay. 5 present what apps and being council member commission meeting. Item number one is a staff report. 25 dash 33 planning and zoning 101. All right. So welcome back. Commissioners, we have. A pretty robust. I would say one it one presentation today there's to item agenda but we're actually going to. Paul, the second item. And so we'll spend most of our time today on the planning and zoning one-on-one. I'm going
to ask commissioners as we go through the you know, to really just I've been asked questions, enjoying the space and recognizing that we'll be trying to wrap in time for folks still goal to the scheduled press conference after this. So I headed over to director noon to introduce the presentation. Yes, thank you. Chair Johnson commissioners are and tennis coming up. First. I think team and interviews here, Bill Dermody airplane director, yes or But who will be providing this informational presentation? We're calling it planning and zoning 101. It's a topic. And we're going going to go through this presentation. You can ask questions as we go, there will be more. You will have questions will need to follow up with you on this is it's a very dense and complicated topic that we're
going planning and zoning, which is a responsibility isn't piece that we share with dsi. So will also cover a little bit about how, but what their role is for 6 hours. And they're they're not here with us today. It's just a planning team. We worked very close with him on on Sony matter. So let to get started. And and we can just ask questions as we Thank Thank you. Chair Johnson and members, commissioners say, turn that always for city council this is that city just click on the To get a Yes. So I think just the voice activated again. Iranian fun. This is where crews I think if you to start talking, it'll start working at. Thank you. Kinda like Fullscreen is. Yeah. That's what it is. Here with me, I guess we have an hour for this. Go down to a full screen and see if that
works. What's going on? Okay. Of Like this is beginning. M name is Ann Center v long-range planning manager the city about its 16 years now. So been a lot of different roles as city planner here. That should be Also presenting the builder, many of the current planning manager. So we've got 2 parts that we want to cover. Give you context of. Zoning planning and so studies general background and what they are, how they work, how they work together. What city council's role is and that process given that typically the scope for city council that And then Bill will talk about. So in more specifically kind of it in the final green
details there, place in history Europe to as questions, if time So there's 4 basic kinds of planning studies. And these are citywide planned small area plan. Zoning studies and master pans. The citywide plans as the comprehensive Those so there's also a few others like the pedestrian plan bike. Bank plan Craver passage, a plan and 2nd a So are policy documents that direct city funding decisions such as zoning decisions and other fr together and they're categorizing things like land
use some loking at how land is used and what the general policies around the broader than categories in the such as housing industrial mixed use that kind o thing. Transportation is looking and how we use them for various modes of transportation. And then looking at our our park system. There's other categories that sometimes come into play on these plans like start preservation, economic development. But those have kind of changed over time. Kind o change plan to plan. A small area plans getting into more So looking at a specific neighborhood. So each district council has a neighborhood plan. This would fall under kind of small area plan. So this is anything that's that the city, another common type
of small area plan. We have a stationary plans. So around transit lines like that. The green line and those are just looking at the area within walking distance of certain station. And these plans provide a vision for the area there little bit. Usually more detailed in terms of policy for. Then than the citywide comp plan. They start to get into some more design details and design character of certain developments. And provide some flexibility in how they're implemented. And both of these categories lit citywide plans and smaller plans kind planning tools. And then as we get into implementation tools, we have shown studies and master plans says owning studies are
changes to the zoning code or zoning map. We use zoning studies to implement our small area plans. And conference plan. These can be 40 acre studies and those are called 40 acres studies because one of the thresholds for a zoning. Are certain zoning. Studies is to have 40 acres of land or more as an area and yeah, so I mean that threshold there usually based on the specific geography or a specific part of the code for text amendments. It can be property owner initiated. We've seen a few of at the former fort say now have the bridge. And the process. Typically they follow a in terms of sequentially after planning study, but they can kind of be in parallel at the same time. And then finally,
master plans are detailed development regulations for larger redevelopment sites typically above. 15 acres and they MAY include. Public infrastructure park space development standards, building design requirements, and these are adopted as part zoning. So he's generally go from less detailed citywide plans down to more detailed under master plans. So when planning studies come so who initiates them? Sometimes they come from the either from the state like a a regulation change. Such as cannabis laws that recently changes at the Sony said come through here a few months ago. Also Met Council. Requires us to update our conference of plan every 10 Resolutions can also come from the planning Commission. These
are studies typically to implement plans or are related to planning issues that have been coming up. City Council can initiate typically as a resolution requesting the city planning says requesting that the Planning Commission initiate a planning study and then finally the community can request. Study through. The City Council Planning Commission or a lot of times for their neighborhood plans, just working at themselves and come to us to help meant that toward the end of the process. How are initiated? Typically it's a initiation resolution which include some kind of statement policy question of problems, the scope of the study, a request to the planning Commission to study it and sometimes this includes packing statistics, a key event. Community partners, geography of the study and a
timeline. And particularly when City Council's working in these kind of resolutions. We recommend that he reach out directly to the planning director. To kind of talk through what this resolution looks like was probably trying to soften. We can help craft that request resolution. So Howard, new planning cities prioritized. We have an annual work plan has input from bunch of different sources. Some air mayoral Priorities, City Council, resolutions, federal and state law changes Planning Commission resolution resolutions and then priorities listed in our comp plan and other plans and all those come together to. Help us to find our work plan where if you imagine these circles
kind of moving around a bit over time as priorities change and evolve. Where there's a lot of overlap between circles to you know, places. We definitely want to concentrate. But this is you know, we have a plan, but it's also adaptive all and and something that needs to. Respond to what's happening in the community. For those of you who like metaphors are more visual learners. How did the planning cities relate to each The way you can think about it or how I think about it is if all of these policy documents are kind of a tree that guides. How we grow and develop in the city. So the comprehensive plan is kind of the base of that. That would be that, you know, the bay so that the bottom of the trunk of the tree. With all these
ideas, kind of the fruits feeding that comprehensive plan policy, ideas and goals feeding into that into one document. Citywide plans would you know, what kind of develops that trunk up to the branches and all the branches of the are 17 neighborhood plans. And top of that, getting into more detail, kind of the texture of that. Smaller branches and leaves. There are 51 small area plans. Conceptually. That's how they can have a bill down to each other. As I mentioned before the comp plan, which is the heart of this structure, is required to be updated every 10 years by state law through the Met Cuncil. And when there any conflict between the plans in terms of direction, this comp plan rules. And then as we look at our
implementation tool. So so that he's master plans, the zoning said he's a kind of. Feeding the ideas in the. Tree of policy to kind of get it to grow. And then the master plans are kind trimming the. The leaves it to form. It makes as air and and circulation. That's conceptual Then we get into more like. Over time. How does this work? He said the breakdown numbers. 51 small area plans. But as we've but the structure of updating our comp plan every 10 years. And we have a new comp plan. Plants ideally are supposed to be updated. All of our plans. A city are supposed to be updated every 10 years or so. But we hve all the neighborhood plans. Kind of coming up at during certain
conference of plan. Updates their growing from this. Certain plan that is then replaced every 10 years. And we have like this ongoing structure of creating a new comp plan and then updating the other one. So in reality, there is quite a long trail of small area plans. A neighborhood plans kind of. Trailing conference of plan. Update. And the way this update process works council sets regional growth and policy in this is just adopted last week or the week before. Imagine 2050 in this. What the name of it is if you all saw that headline. And all cities respond to that. Those growth estimates and overarching metabolic House counsel policy. And planned conference plans adopted through the the previous plan is decertified and the small area plans there are plans should be
decertified on that schedule. One caveat to that is that this policy is not always been enforced consistently. So we have it quite a range here. Is he like when neighborhood plans where last adopted our oldest was from 1979. As a result. You know, the time when, for example, this plan was adopted 1979. It's relating to a whole different set of policies that have since been updated. Completely different context. This is something that we want to look at as we up come with the next round of of comp plan. Updates will be kicking off for the Our winter, I guess of of 2025. 2026 senator, we actually have a question yet. So I Cmmissioner Kim. Thank you. Started project just a quick question. So I
really he's really appreciate. And in the way, like Sony is feeding into the sun. Chris, are large a comprehensive plan. Just have a question So we we do their own. Is there a space in which 8? And maybe we don't do this and this for being on the planning commission. Bt I knd felt like there's a space for than other cities would compare to see like how lines they were for more of a regional. Like a soft regional unofficial plan. But I just kind of wonder like, is there a point in which we ever compare our light 2040, comp plan with other cities to start thinking about how re impacting like more regional approach is with their own plan. through that Chair Commissioner Kim, if understanding question
correctly like we do, we go through scoping process. Every time we update conference of plan. So we'll look at peer cities, you know, be on whatever. Met Council is is telling us like they set regional policies are certain regulations and policies that we need to work with in and kind of. I'll say Sol for in terms of our own on policy. But this quite a bit of latitude, I guess look at Pierre Cities what other cities are and then also defying, you know how we want to frame Saint company's plan as well. So we need specific chapters in the comp plan. Like take certain boxes. But we can go beyond too. And to be as a follow up us
to do we happen to know just around small area plans and like the neighborhood plans, the typical length of time are like how how typically takes like I know for the city with the comprehensive plan, right? We have. Tickets on interview but look for neighborhood for a small plan. Is that similar? Could that be similar? Their small are going to time that something might be in place for. Chair yet. Process in a best case scenario for. small area plan or a neighborhood plan would be probably. 2 years. Plus or-0 and looking my colleagues here to see if I'm off base there. But Jenner that that the challenge, I think,
particularly when it comes to. Neighborhood plans specifically run by the district councils. Is that? a lot of times are a lot of work and there's a lot of outreach associated with it. And there can be points at which staff turnover or board's turnover where? Process is kind of last as we kind of track, you know, where which neighborhoods are updating their neighborhood plan. And a lot of times we'll have the same, you know, conversation repeat of the as folks are. They're starting up the process and then it kind of peters out and then starting up again. So there. Their intent. It's an intense process. And I think that's one of The things that I think we'd like to look at as we update our next come plan, you know what we're expecting a
lot like the structure for these neighborhood plans. Te expectations for neighbor plans. Kind of. Created at a time when there's more staff resources on both sides for district councils and city. So are there ways that? We could look at this differently? Church on I think what you might have been asking is how long does the plan? How long is effect that to ask more than how long it takes to create it. I think just really adding some timeline contacts overall, but sure, yes, also wanting to like how long those are in place. Right. And I think Clinton strained it was trying to convey is so the because the small area plans or amended are adopted as an amendment to the comp plan that exists at the time. If the if the comp plan we're
about to expire, say we're about to do a new one and a neighborhood plan were and adopted as an amendment to that comp plan, it would only be it would only be in effect effectively until that comp plan right now, it would have to be adopted again as an amendment to the next complaint. Is that correct? So so it ideally in an ideal world. The nighborhood plans happened at the same time as the comp plan and then they're all 10 years. But given the constraints that we're talking about with neighborhoods being having the capacity or the ability to kind of gets us plans going or keep it going or are all our ability to to to support that over time has been has been sketchy or so trying to figure out how what is the way in which we could have kind of the moerlein done timeline and making sure that
they understand that they they need to keep it updated so that it can continue to be adopted as amendments to the comp plan. And commissioner, thanks John Tonight. Really appreciate this conversation isn't it is really important and it's relevant to so many of our and I think part of the conversation about how to ensure the district councils are able to be more effective partners in this work is to Better resource district councils. As I know we've been talking about and will be work for a council this year and those work that the department is engaged just a lot to ask volunteers to continue work with us at the level that we need it. I'm curious where the onus lies when. When a new comprehensive plan is adopted and therefore neighborhoods plan no longer is relevant or
just when. For some reason there's something in neighborhoods plan that was done a while ago. That is no longer relevant. Is that something that is our staff's responsibility to flag for neighborhood for District Council? Are we expecting that? That's the District Council that. Pay attention to whether or not a plan that community might think is the law of the land is no longer To restrict. Sure. I through Chair Commission Especially you know, this a quick question. And it's part of this discussion that we're having because in the wn that come in neighborhood, it does their plans, their guidelines. And and that kind of language is included. They're like theoretically, they should
know that we need to do this every 10 years. But staff changes again, like time goes by and things happen. So could we do a better job of reminding the District Council said, you know, your plan is. Like we're adopting a new come plan. Remember that? This means you know, your previous plan is not is not moving, is not traveling with it. You'll need to. You need to update it in and adopted again. That's that's something that maybe we want to start messaging a little bit more as that's what we're talking about with the next plan update is headed. How to add communication or you know, process that makes it a little like reminds people it's it's in the guidelines. But happens every 10 years. Right? So it's it's something that's easy to forget. So we can we can
probably do a better job of communicating that more often. Just a quick follow-up chair commissioner Nick or the local council vice PRESIDENT. Thank you. Yeah, no, I I appreciate that challenge meant that we there's more we can do on that because, you know, again. This is a group of volunteers who are likely not the same folks who are there 10 years ago. If they're the same people who are there 2 years ago and you know, these neighborhood plans are like they're the vision for what the neighborhood wants to see him in their adopted to the comp plan. And a vision for whole city wants to see. And so if there's understanding and community that that's the vision and then that has somehow. Along the way got dropped That sun is really problematic all the decisions we make around this table are based on that
document. Yeah. We'll just to too, that I appreciate the attention to to the District Council space in the capacity and on the east at a Paul there. We've been having conversations each year. The capacity I think does shift. We are also in a different time. For district councils, I would say this year to in. I am curious as to how that plays out into the neighborhood plans and like planning process for at all knowing that there is so many factors weighed into the district councils right now. I'm sure if you ask all of the district councils fr some of them, at least on the East side, their highest priority right now is trying to fight for their funding and deal with the adjustments to their budget. But I see that, yes,
it's got up to you want to add anything at since we are talking about just recount Yes, chair genson. I wanted to add just to know aout. You know, like. How these plans could come come and We do have asserted a decertification process, but it's been squishy. And I think of that, you know, when district Councilor community has worked really a plan. You know, we have to walk this really fine line to flick, wanting to be sensitive to them and like, you a lot of what's in some of these plans. Like still really important to them. And so. Sying, ok, we're going to automatically decertify everything at this point can be really jarring. And so I think we've tried to, you know, walk a fine line there of, you know, keeping things squishy for lack of of
a better term. But I think, you know, that's something that we can do more outreach about and talk about and, you know, I think that. System that we have now, you know, I think it was created in the 70's. And, you know, is it serving us the way we needed to? We're open to looking at that and all actively looking at everything that we do to say like is this. Does this make sense for today? You even in the last 5 years we've been through. Both 25 years. So things are very different. Then they were, you know, even a few years ago. So that's just I want to just add some context there for that. And children's, if I can just one thing on to that,
too. If you can imagine in ideal world where all the district or the neighborhood plants came at the same time. That means we get all of those plans at the same time. And and when this process was put in place, I think we had a planner for every district council far less staff than we had at the time over over that over time, if you look at the number of people who who are in pe or who are in planning. So I'm just like in for you that could maybe solve one problem and create a new If we had to figure out how to staff processing of 17 small area plans or district plans are however many we have at a given time to just want like that to like if we decide to go towards the direction of like we're going to make sure that all the district councils update their plans every 10 years than than every 10
years. We're going to have that moment where we all this work to do and not enough potentially people to do it unless we plan ahead for that like and for that. Commissioner Kim to use of a question. Yeah, thank you, mom. I think to the the question at hand and then sort of the decertification and when that aligns with the plan and when it doesn't, but it's more around Lake. The comp plan is used for us to qua qua Zoning decisions spread in planning decisions. And so I'm wondering, then like to the point it makes me curious. It's sort of rhetorical question. If there's ever a neighborhood plan that's in conflict with our plan and then like I think for a lot of folks like our neighbor has a very special. And so if the neighborhood, you know, comes forward and says here is like a vision for this part o the neighborhood and it doesn't
align with the with the Master comp plan. How do we reconcile that? And I think like Kuz whose plan are we following? And so it's just the question that if they don't align what happens and if we don't have enough staff to review to make sure they call us or assist in that, it just it begs the question then like we're creating work for district councils MAY or MAY not be considered as they flow up an information. And so like the valley of that document, I think that's the question at hand for me to get this rhetorical. But if we are asking volunteers in our neighborhoods to create this document and then ultimately we Dysart a fiat in a strange amount of time depending on when they actually completed
and someone that has done one before. I can say we were not on time but like thank you. But then like then if decertified in the master plan kicks in some of whose rules will be following and whose input ultimately care about. And so it is rhetorical but also heard that like staff in the past. We used to have, you know, 17 potentially at 1, one staffer, District council and they all have varying capacities as well as you know. And so I think the question about its function I just want to lift up is is not a function as a statement of its value the District Council system is like small, small and mighty and the ways that it can be. But I I think just naming you know, I I don't know how this result in process, but I just really hate to see moments where neighborhood input is superseded by an overarching city view when that sort of the valley of the District
Council is offering a very like specific neighborhood, specific perspective on the ultimate, like the planning for for the area. So to Johnson encounter payment. I want you all tent. Add on to this. If I'm not correct. But the cmplaint is the guiding document we adopt the comp plan. That's the guiding document. The neighborhood plants have to be consistent with the comp pan. So if there were neighborhood plan, it wasn't consistent. It couldn't be adopted as an amendment to the complaint. So they have to be consistent there. More fine-grained. Then the comp plan that you don't we shouldn't have. Shouldn't find in When instance where a neighborhood plan is not consistent with the comp plan, that's why we have. That's staff intensive to write. We have to go through each of the
plans that they propose and determine if it's consistent with the comp plan. I've seen some before that came in and they were like, here's all these assignments for different departments. And like, no, like that's, you know, there are things that we have to to gauge as we look at those plants. And and so it's also really time intensive for us. But the comp plan is the is the guiding document. Just one quick follow-up that. Really appreciate that is so then if there are things that have to be changed is opportunity for them to submit an alternative. Yes, okay. Absolutely. Chair Johnson and commissioner, could It's it's iterative process with the its it's time-consuming is an inter of process. But my assumption is that we we'll go through it and point out any areas that there was conflict and work through that with with neighbor with the district canceled for the Suns, great in a partisan way. Sumption was because of
staffing. Maybe not. Everyone was getting a review and that was my frame for that question. So I really appreciate it. Thank you. We'll that will go back eter into because I appreciate the kind of robust discussion about this. The kind dissipated such. So we'll keep it so it contribute to the fate of playing, says builds the conversation just so one of the lake. If you want to hurt planners feelings, just tell them that their plans collect dust and that the shelf and that's kind the cliche that we hear. But we want our plans to be used to want them to be valuable for the city. We want them to be valuable for the neighborhoods. And just does it like. Based on my experience, the things that
kind of lead to success or failure have an influence in success or failure. So timing Are we too early too Sometimes you can be like to visionary. And it just doesn't translate into actual implementation funding availability. So making sure that we have there's funding sources with those the city or outside to pay for it. Context. Is there been a fundamental change in context? So a plan my desk from. The 70's, a thinker. Maybe for the downtown people mover. We plan. Based this, form of transportation that is going to move people around town never panned out. S that's a fundamental change that just kept that one from being implemented. Community support to the people affected by the planned support. It and here the community can be neighborhood. It can be the
whole city of Saint Paul. Sometimes we're working on projects that mostly public works is by and so that can kind of shrink or expand based on the context, ambitious was the plan overambitious sir, underwhelming. You know where it Too boring for people to get excited about inspiration. This is kind the other side of the coin there. Does it? Does it inspired people to action? Land control. We have land control sufficiently and for where we're planning for change. And then this one relates specifically to last. Discussion is age as the plan hb on functional shelf life. You know, I think about just from the time I started the city here 16 years ago. And to now, unlike what the public conversation is around
parking. For example, I think most zoning cases the discussion was 90% about parking 10% about other stuff. And now it's. You know, probably flipped. And then complexity is the plan over the complicated. Sometimes we can get too complicated. Can't follow it and it doesn't Antonin to Jones, I can just add 1, 1, thing I think we need to point out is that the comprehensive plan is our policy goals for the city as a whole. And there's there hundreds of policies like and buy policies. It's sort of like our aspirations for our city. But every one of those policies are every one of those. Even like here's our affordable housing goals for
the city. Every developments not going to eat all those those schools, right, we would like it to be a walkable city. Every piece of land in our not walkable. So it's a little challenging because often like it's easy kind of cherry pick a policy out of million policies that are applicable to the whole city and say, but that doesn't work for the site. That makes it a little hard. But I just want to point that out that the comp plan is is our aspiration, our vision for the city as a whole. And it's really difficult kind of assigned those goals to every single piece of land. But you say that's accurate. And then Commissioner think students Internet? Point director and and in I think that that's that's really well taken and something I've struggled with ever since I planning
commissioner just that. Cme plans are neighborhood plans seem like they can be everything and nothing. They can say they say everything. They don't say anything. And so. I would encourage you and your team to think about while everything is important. When we're talking in particular, I think the small area plans in the neighborhood plans. This is more relevant because the comprehensive plan by its nature is going to be comprehensive. But when we are looking at a particular area, one of the values is the most important. Yes, we do value everything. But in this particular case is that density or is it green space or is that walkability transit like because we have everything written there with no sense of weight. It is really difficult at this table, for example, to decide a community. The community wanted, everything, they really thank executive and if
we have to make our choice, how do we To Johnson Commissioner Nick or that's well stated. And I can remember there was there was one item sometime in the last 5 years. Was here. Some some something was trying to be denied because it didn't meet everything in the comp plan. I was like if if everything had to be everything in the comp plan, like nothing could ever happen, you know, because nothing will me everything. Every aspiration in the comp plan. So you're right. It's in maybe with a smaller area plans. We can try to hone in on which policies in a given geography would make the most sense to be the aspirational for the area if there are some that we can at least say like this just can't work here because of x, y, z constraints or something. So what city council's role in planning and zoning said
he's so this. Kind of 3 stages of a plan that where we can interact City Council. Initiation drafting and options. So iitiation your potential role. With the City Council hat would be a resolution to planning Commission and outreach plans. So a lot of times as scoping, something will come to all with briefings, say this plan is getting started. Do other any groups you'd like to see us reach out to or events we can collaborate outreach. Identification, dedication of issues and then refining the scope for the project. And then as we get into the drafting stage a lot of times we'll coordinate and and outreach. And then just give you updates the project. Ad arguably the most important
role is that dring the a adoption phase. And this would review of the study at the public hosting a public hearing responding to what we hear in the public hearing, giving direction to the planning Sometimes something will come. Before City for Public MAY go back to Planning Commission. And then ideally taking an official action on the plan and that can be adoption of the plan, approval of the plan, cetera. You MISS It. Should me have been respond any other questions? By phone question, I guess is more for informational purposes, but also adjusts requests that I'd love to be able to just kind of see, though the plans that we do have like winds lessen have been updated are certified. And just to understand that, like I hear you director noon,
when you talk about like, if the goal is to, you know, certify all of these different neighborhood plans the same time that could be, you know, it would be. Hard to do that the staffing capacity that we also just genuinely interested what it looks like in with places we might want revisit or reconsider as time goes along because I love facing when it comes to also being able to access capacity. What we have time for. We have resources resources for it would be helpful just to see like the plans we have last time. They were certified updated. That's coming up. But kind of expect okay? Yeah, We a customize. You know something for just based on your word to if that's helpful. Or citywide, it either way. Yeah, I mean, I the court is great for myself, but I have love to see that the city wants group. Okay. Well, bills
coming up, Chad Johnson, if you haven't had a chance to look at the comp plan and do actually have hard copies? Are they only like isn't only online? We could make. We used to we used to in in the city planning like. Print her complaints. But, you know, if you would like for us to get printed for you, it's it's fascinating to read its huge. There's a whole lot there. But even when you're involved in the process. B the end of the day, by the time you have that document like it's kind of nice to read through it in and remind yourself, read through it once a year. You know, it just be familiar with it. So if there's a way that we can help facilitate you, having, you know, quick access whatever, however, we can be helpful
with that. We love to do that. It sounds like they'll be my next birthday pesent a thanks and time will come Bill. Thank you. And you are not going 100 copies for anyone in the public really want to see all of public at they also don't want to copy of the zoning They U.S. Still have a copy of my zoning by people are Also like to give you a little overview of zoning and what we do to say, I think you're familiar some of those. Some of this might be That's great. So stay high level zoning fundamentally is districts on the map regulations that go with it about land use. The tax that goes with We have zoning map online and we have chapters. 63 69 legislative code are also known as zoning specifies
which land uses are permitted or conditionally permitted in own. You know, those can be residential business industrial. Mixed use. Tried standards and conditions free choose whether their citywide or they can be special ones where the standards only apply in traditional neighborhood district instance. Also dresses signage site, planned subdivisions some about processes to what boards or commissions see which towns cases patients. So of our zoning districts in the city. Lot yellow. That's dh industrials purple. She is the traditional neighborhood. Red, too, which is business districts? Examples of zoning applications. You see many these, but not all of these
that City Council. These are just examples. We also have administrative processes. And I've got diagram of where those all couple slides. Each one of these applications, whether rezoning officially is from experience, not conforming use for have certain findings in the code. So it's not just is this rezoning a good idea? Is conditional use permit a good idea what their specific findings? These are examples on the screen of of what that is and often different data, the comprehensive plan, but also some other findings that are more specific. These are some of tose zoning applications and the processes state, you know, pretty much anything could end up a city council. I didn't even put on here. The administrative processes like site plans are
usually an administrative process or lot splits, which the kind of subdivision are usually an administrative process. But every planning administrator is on administrative decision could be appealed. And then that those decisions could be appealed eventually to the city council. So is patient could eventually end of the 2 you table. On speaking or it Saturday the same going That's important. So rezoned innings and Platts always go to the city Council. Other types of applications MAY end up there on the field. We have a couple ways that the zoning code be amended. One map amendments. In other words, that's a rezoning. So that could be the most common an individual rezoning initiated by a property on application. Suddenly somebody applied for rezoning their own property. Also have larger rezoning studies. What answer for to 40
acres studies. That can be initiated either by the city Council or by the Planning Commission. And usually an area plan or neighborhood plan that was just adopted or is being adopted that same time or there's a specific. Opportunity like a major infrastructure investment like transit line or something like that. Green light had and zoning in Senate. There that that came with that. We MAY undertake a a so a rezoning some next couple of years around the g line or the h line. Aterial bus, rapid transit so that folks typically what traitor those on and studies Marshall Avenue Central Corridor. The showcase only state are all examples of that. We can also amend the zoning code through text Cannabis was a recent example of that we've if, you know the one the for housing units
study missing medals, so-called. So study, it's another example of that. And that takes, you know, 6 months, minimum, sometimes years, depending much public attention is there is that much public outrage. Is so much research. There is a lot of steps that list them all here. I won't go into details. Take substantial amount of time for those types of of zoning studies. I think I yes, a Thank you, Commissioner Dacre, thanks to Johnson. It's at just made this connection. But I have always thought about text amendments because the name is text amendment is being really easy like. Just a type of correction, but they're actually the lengthy one. That was my wrist MAY So I'm curious, but the map amendments. And we've been talking about this with an issue going my word right now. What what
is the what triggers when small area plan or neighborhood plan says. Either we wanted we want some of the area to be used differently than it is now or we want this to be studied or whatever. What triggers a rezoning process does does somebody on the city council in the planning commission then have to look at that plan and say, oh, this talks about this different views than currently exists. So we should initiate rezoning or neighborhood have to do that is the plan are working with the neighborhood, identify that change like because if it doesn't ever change zoning and the planning documents too, and towns point that shouldn't just gather dust doesn't really have wait. Well, Chair Johnson Commission maker the official initiation of a zoning study has to come from the City Council Planning Commission. The idea can come from anywhere. So, you neighborhood group could come up with the
idea pt could come up with the idea if they're if there's something on a plan that has to do with the land, use, change zoning as a tool to implement Sometimes plans will call for a change eventually. And it's just decided we're not doing at this time. And if the property owner came along this great, we can go from residential to commercial here. Whatever the case, maybe there are 2 ways to approach that implementation. Sometimes it's the timeline issue. And I'll add them Johnson and Commissioner Nick are like just one bill just mentioned. You know, sometimes ideas come in. They say at some point a lot of times a plan say we would we would anticipate a steady when land use better
start to change, meaning like. Industrial now and it's all industrial. And you it's unlikely that zoning would change from industrial if that were the case. But at some point in time, if a developer would come in and won every zoned for residential and the land, you started changing land, use patterns and that might happen. But generally the reason it's come when someone has been piece of property rights at zoning isn't exactly what they're looking for. That's when we would look at something or as Bill mentioned, like a major, like the Hillcrest like that. They worked on for a long time. Something like that. So that's typically what happens. A lot of the plans, a lot of neighborhood plantel have. You know, our vision is for something something to happen. But acknowledging that. And all the different factors that
would keep that from happening in till such time as they didn't. So. Visions, our visions and sometimes their long-term and, you know, you can imagine. I can't imagine how long like how far back people might have said greatest. That Ford factory where big? Mixed use development. But until such time as it stopped being a Ford factory, it can get right. It was a Ford factory. So so then it got rezoned when it became when when that you stopped, that is that over simplifying? I don't think this how I think about this because when we sometimes when we do master planning, we do rezone, even though the current use has not changed. So like with the West at Flats Masterplan. I remember because we put huge green space on the current business and they all came in to talk to us about
it. Like, this is future visiting. We did reach out so I'm I'm just again, trying to like follow figure out what the protocol is for when obviously when somebody says, you know, at some future point, maybe some day. But when there's either a you know, we envision this site becoming and there isn't that timeline established or just went? When do we say again, knowing that where the expert on this, this looks like if you ever want this to happen, a rezoning probably needs to happen or the use is going to continue as it is Chair Justin Commission Acre. I actually don't have a slide about this, but maybe it's the time to. Talk about legal nonconforming. Also, it's grandfathered uses. So a lot that legal that making a property legal nonconforming
by changing its own away from. What the U.S. Currently has said the U.S. Would no longer be allowed. Does not keep the use from happening. They can continue indefinitely as there is. But sometimes the planning commission or city Council MAY not wish to do that because it does put some restrictions on what you can do as a business. You can automatically expand. We have processes where you can ask permission from the planning Commission to expand. I'm not conforming use, but it's not guaranteed. Puts limitations on you. And it certainly I've seen that play out zoning studies in the past where we've looked at an area and sometimes city council's decided we are not creating legal nonconforming use here. We don't want to restrict this business. Sometimes they say,
yes, we do want to restrict this business to further the phasing out of this. And you know, put the vision forward faster. It's it's policy decision. And with pros and cons. So master plans another zoning function we have. We have 5 in the city. They're intended for large developments like Hillcrest Ford Heights, Highland Ridge, still adjusting to the they're authorized by the zoning code, but they live outside of it technically in their adopted by City Council resolution. So got one of year city Council after they can. Include more specific guidance on site, layout to sign signage than what's in the zoning code. For instance, this map on this from that the Heights master plan lays out where the park is where the district storm water is. Some specifics that
you don't typically get into own in code. If tailor-made for the site. Commissioner Thank you. Chair Johnson. Thank you, for this presentation. I know was it last host at the community conversations with on the night alleged plan. And I really appreciate Daniela be in there. Our showing up and a lot of discussion about the master plan and one of those things that specific that came up was questions around the signage I know last year we had quite a resolutions and variances related to that site, particularly around the master plan where was a very outdated And there are some
specific things that we had to just on it. But I'm wondering the the signage came up as a talking point kind took me b surprise because I never really thought of signage as like. Zoning related thing. But a looking into this, our sign ordinance policy, it's very complex ad can you can speak a little bit, too, that if there's any examples, if the head came particularly with United Village, are other sites just because that's something that I hear from business, especially on Selby Avenue, they want to have their sign displayed. But they are located known on the on a different street than cell b. But we have a lot of like rigid regulations around
signage. Chair Johnson commissioner very yeah. Good question. So signs sign code is part of the zoning code. So it is sewing function and that is something that can be amended through zoning text amendment if there were city or wide regulations that were found to be out of date or and meeting of change to meet the modern neds of businesses in the city. That is certainly something the City Council Planning Commission could initiate and we could bring forward potential changes to the code. Master plans can also have signed requirements that different from what's in zoning code code could go above and beyond. In some ways, could even offer flexibility that the actually at the Heights there's additional flexibility for monument signs there because this this part environment wasn't really envision with
what was in zoning codes. We need to add a little more flexibility there to make it work. But yeah, it's it's it's either got to meet the regulations or get a variance. But in the long run, if this was a persistent issue that you seen throughout the city and different places. That might be something we should look at his own code amendment about. Follow-up ahead. Thank you. Sarah Johnson. Another thing that came and that's a teat. This like a examples. I'm sure other commissioners, you know, can use this information, so if there is like, say, back to that happened, we're talking about the zoning application process, particularly for plats place in rezoning. So there is a church in my neighborhood that
has like 4 different lots and they pay taxes on like 4 different properties. Even though the church in the building and saw the same organization. But I also don't know like is that something that councilmember can take lead on our with that organization have to put the application and to pretty much consolidate those So just kind of just one in kids like what's next steps I can take show show Good question. That's probably a lot combination are a lot splits type of situation, which possibly an administrative Anybody could apply for it. You know, there is an application fee for it, but it comes to our office and
pde and we circulated to other departments and if all is in order potentially approve that administratively. So, you know, we'd be glad to work with this particular or somebody wanted to take the lead outside of the church and help them with that lead work with him too. Yes, second to Johnson. Just quickly, I want to add on the master plan, peace bill before we leave this and that MAY be less site. Something I've noticed since I've been here, not all cities to master plans, and but we do and ours are varying levels of specificity and flexibility. And just want a flag. Give a caution. Really some of them like the Highland Ridge Master plan incredibly specific and really didn't contemplate. Time. Like since that plan was adopted, we've pandemic. We've had, you know, huge interest
rate increases in construction cost increases things like that. The United Village Master plan is more flexible. kind of basically says in this square there will these uses. And and there's flexibility about where those things move in, some more flexibility that time. So I'm just sort of flooding. That's some of these are more sort of restrictive or specific others. And we need to think about that as we move forward If we need to adopt master plans, I think we need to make sure that we consider flexibility and maybe just sort of adopt a policy that every 5 years we look at it and say I'm just making up a number. But like have things changed. We need amend update, a master plan. I don't know if if if its, if we're going to have them in my head, they
need to, they need to have the room to grow or breathe or change. But I have talk to my team aout that says just public, we don't want to do to its time. Its work rates extra work. But but it's we have to do that to we have to live within reality get any, you know, to get things to happen here. So at that, well, thank you, director noon. I I know that we have. Few different master-planned center, you know, actively going through. And if you're maybe in the order, not the you MAY be falling. Certain master plan more than others. And so that update, I'm sure is welcome to months to assess just a hear how it's going. And so I think, being able to revisit master plans and he
making sure that they're relevant or up to date that it take out our current situation is and are ever what seems to be ever changing. Climate looks like so I know that the second iem just want us to be aware of time means so. Thank you, Sir. Jeremy, and thank you, Marjorie, as well for coming in and sharing a little bit about the planning and zoning one-on-one. I know this is a robust conversation and then much like others. If there are continued topics are still welcome. The feedback from. Some of our commissioners on items that you want to learn more about. So item number 2 is a staff report. 2 dash 32 introduction to Commerce building phase one and 2. This item will be withdrawn with potential of returning to the board. Ready. And I have checked with the commissioner who was there as well. And
she's aware of the item being full. So with that. There's no other for the been business right now. So will. The