May 2009 Council Meeting.

Issue 1: Interim Commercial Zoning

Analysis 1: Last year, the City Council voted to adopt a new comprehensive plan. This plan calls for dramatic changes to the zoning ordinances. Until the new zoning ordinances are adopted, there is a conflict between what we allow through zoning and what our plan calls for. You may think how can zoning affect the look of a city? It can be dramatic. In my opinion, few people realize how much a built environment dictates their behavior. We like certain environments but often we fail to notice why.

For example, in shopping areas people like to browse windows. Small windows discourage street activity and walking. Therefore, you can state by ordinance that you want 50% of the area of a building facing the main street to be windows.

We already have a lot of these measures in a special zone along 5th Avenue. This zone is called the 5th Avenue Overlay District. In my opinion, it is very successful. The new buildings along 5th Avenue fit well. Due to this, I recommended several months ago that the 5th Avenue Overlay zoning district be used as a model for interim zoning measures until our new comprehensive plan can be put into place.

Conclusion: I voted to approve the interim zoning because I think they are an improvement until new zoning can be developed and put into place pursuant to the comprehensive plan.