HomeMy WebLinkAboutMiscellaneousMEMORANDUM
TO: Planning & Zoning Commission
FROM: Jane R. Kee, City Planner
RE: AMENDMENT TO THE C-B BUSINESS COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
DATE: February 13, 1998
Staff has been discussing the need for one or more new commercial districts because more
and more our commercial. zoning districts are not accommodating the combinations of
uses wanted by our customers.
The Comprehensive Plan shows regional retail, neighborhood retail, oi~ice and mixed use
as land use categories that could accommodate commercial uses. The Zoning Ordinance
has six office or commercial zoning districts. that can fit into these land use categories.
The C-1 and C 2 zones are particularly antiquated. C-1 is too broad in its range of uses
while C-2 tries to allow some industrial uses. with commercial uses and these two should
be separated (unless appropriately designed as part of a PDD).
The C-N Neighborhood Commercial District has a very limited range of uses and also
limits lease space sizes and lot sizes as well. The C-B district is less broad than C-1 but
because it does not permit convenience .stores or gasoline service, people feel compelled
to ask for C-1 simply for these two uses.. The C-3 Planned Commercial District is for l.ow
traffic generators and sites too small for general C-1 uses, although. it can accommodate
gas stations and limited restaurants. Previously. C-3 did not allow restaurants, which was
a very limiting factor in is use. Council did pass an ordinance amendment which expanded
the C-3 zone to allow some very small restaurant use as a conditional use to be considered
by the. Commission.
The new PDD district is very flexible and allows someone to specify particular uses but
this district also requires an :applicant to know exactly what is intended for the property.
In working with the property owners. at the corner of Jones Butler and Luther (part of the
Melrose development and the rezoning on tonight's agenda) to try to determine the most
appropriate. district for commercial uses at this. location, it became evident that there is no
zone, other than PDD, which can accommodate their: intended uses (convenience store,
gasoline service, restaurant, `cleaners with on-site facilities).. They are not prepared at this
time to be as definitive as the PDD requires. However, they need commercial zoning to
move forward with. development plans.
In considering. this .dilemma and knowing the prohibition against convenience stores and
gas stations in C-B has lkelybeen a hindrance to its use, we have prepared an amendment
that allows convenience and gasoline service to be considered as conditional uses. The C-
Bzone was designed with the University Drive Corridor in mind, as well as other
locations where the City would like to allow commercial uses. but not the range allowed in
C-l. For this reason, we could only recommend allowing convenience stores and gas
stations as conditional uses and not permitted by right. This way the Commission has
discretion and authority over where these uses should go and in which C-B districts..
The. property owners involved in the rezoning on tonight's. agenda also have difficulty with
the prohibition against on-site .cleaning facilities in C-B. Originally the district was written
with cleaners with no "on-site cleaning facilities" as a permitted use. This was. due to the
chemicals used and more industrial nature of this type of operation.. The applicants have
indicated to staffthat there have been technological changes in the dry cleaning industry
whereby "on-site. facilities" are not `as noxious and might be appropriate depending on a
particular C-B location. Staff has no information relative to this and has suggested that
the applicant be prepared to address the Commission concerning. this matter. The
ordinance amendment. has been written with cleaners with "on-site facilities" listed as
conditional in case the Commission feels comfortable recommendingapproval,oftbis.