SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION:
Title
Approve amendments to the Community Development Code addressing community gardens, detached dwellings and residential infill projects in the MDR District, fences, vertical mixed-use projects, landscaping standards, residential and commercial parking restrictions, signs, permit renewals, pre-application meetings, development agreements, definitions, US 19 Zoning District and Development Standards and Downtown District and Development Standards, and pass Ordinance 9643-23 on first reading. (TA2022-09001)
Body
SUMMARY:
City Council discussed proposed Ordinance No. 9643-23 at its February 16, 2023 meeting, and during that meeting there was consensus to make a limited number of changes to the Ordinance prior to completing a first reading. Therefore, City Council continued this item to the March 16, 2023 meeting to allow time to notice the revised item.
Proposed Ordinance No. 9643-23 addresses many topics, and the majority are as originally presented to the City Council. The following changes were made to the Ordinance based on City Council direction:
• Removed proposal to prohibit the use of LED rope/ribbon lighting around windows and doors [deleted from Ordinance Section 11]
• Modified proposed standards for attached electronic changeable message signage to remove previously proposed minimum venue size (750 seats), establish that only performing arts theaters can utilize this type of signage, and clarify that such theaters located on multiple frontages may have such signage on no more than two street frontages [modified Ordinance Section 11, page 16]
• Modified standards for fencing for community gardens to permit fences of up to six feet in height along front property line(s) provided it is open style if taller than four feet, as recommended by the Community Development Board at its January 17, 2023 meeting [modified Ordinance Section 14, pages 17-18]
The Planning and Development Department has determined that the proposed text amendments to the Community Development Code are consistent with and further the goals, objectives and policies of the Comprehensive Plan and the Community Development Code as outlined in the staff report.