Neighborhood commercial establishments, or commercial outlets placed among residences, would be no larger than 15,000 square feet, a size Mayor Matt Santini said may be too big. Personal services and general retail would be allowed uses.
Parking in N-C zoned lots still needs to be addressed, with Councilman Louis Tonsmeire Sr. hoping for a balance that would prevent parking on adjacent residential lots while not requiring large parking lots.
Staff members, including City Planner Richard Osborne, proposed the city relax parking area size regulations for neighborhood commercial zonings, allowing those outlets to better blend with the surrounding residential area.
He said the city currently requires a large amount of parking space.
Councilman Lori Pruitt said in revising the 15-year-old zoning ordinances, she wants to "remove the possibility of speculative zoning" so that city officials have a better idea of what developers have planned. Leaders have proposed a number of changes for planned developments, including those relating to open space, parking and aesthetics, such as disallowing chain link fences in front yards and allowing fluorescent colors as accent colors only.
Pruitt said the look and feel of proposed developments are important, and officials are working to build a compilation of form- and use-based zoning controls.
Leaders also discussed crematoriums, which would have to be part of a funeral home and would be allowed in districts zoned general commercial or office commercial. Santini and city councilmen directed staffers and city attorney Keith Lovell to continue work on the topic -- research standards and propose requirements.
Planning Commission member Ed Hicks said he would like to see the mobile home park district of the zoning ordinance removed.
Leaders will likely continue work on zoning revisions during a possible July 13 work session. Staff members say the changes are to allow greater flexibility, provide quality aesthetic standards and modify the ordinance to allow better enforcement.
The city is set to undertake revisions to landscaping and sign ordinances next.