HomeMy WebLinkAboutA017 - Council Action Form dated March 4, 1997 r �
ITEM#:
DATE: 03/04/97
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
SUBJECT: MOTION TO SET MARCH 25, 1997 AS THE DATE OF PUBLIC
HEARING TO CONSIDER AN AMENDMENT TO THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP OF
THE CITY OF AMES FOR THE SINGLE-FAMILY CONSERVATION OVERLAY
DISTRICT.
ACTION FORM SUMMARY: The City Council is conducting a public hearing on the
text amendment of the zoning ordinance for the Single-Family Conservation Overlay
District (SFCOD). The City Council should also conduct a public hearing on the map
amendment for the SFCOD, as well.
Staff is recommending that this public hearing for the map amendment occur, as well.
BACKGROUND:
At the City Council meeting of February 25, 1997, the Council took specific action to set
March 25, 1997 as the date of public hearing for the text amendment to the Zoning
Ordinance for the Single-Family Conservation Overlay District regulation. General
discussion occurred with respect to also conducting a public hearing on the
amendment to the Official Zoning Map to apply the SFCOD, but no action was taken.
ANALYSIS:
The initial content of the SFCOD contained a provision to repeal the moratorium
ordinance at the same time that the SFCOD ordinance would presumable be adopted.
It has been the apparent intent of the Council to apply the SFCOD to the Official Zoning
Map at the same time that the moratorium ordinance was repealed. The purpose for
this strategy is to provide the protection to the Central Ames area that has been sought
for some time, coincident to the removal of the moratorium ordinance.
For this reason, staff is advising that the City Council also conduct the public hearing
on the ordinance to amend the Official Zoning Map.
The Planning and Zoning Commission will consider this issue at their meeting of March
19, 1997, and forward their recommendation to the Council for the meeting of March
25, 1997. Staff also plans to inform the Historic Preservation Commission of the
proposed provision that gives the Commission the authority to administer the SFCOD in
the Historic Preservation District.
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Since the Council has indicated that the moratorium ordinance should be repealed at
the earliest opportunity, conducting the public hearing on the amendment to the Official
Zoning Map will create this opportunity for the moratorium ordinance to be repealed.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. The City Council can set March 25, 1997 as the date of public hearing on the
amendment to the Official Zoning Map for the SFCOD.
2. The City Council can decide not to set March 25, 1997 as the date of public
hearing on the amendment to the Official Zoning Map.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
At the February 25 meeting, the City Council passed a motion setting the date of
hearing for the text amendment for the Single-Family Conservation Overlay District.
City Council direction was not given to include a hearing regarding the
corresponding amendment to the Official Zoning Map. The City staff is not
certain whether this lack of direction regarding the Zoning Map amendment was a
conscious decision on the part of the City Council or merely the result of an
oversight due to the late hour of the meeting. Therefore, the staff is seeking
clarification and direction regarding this issue.
Several years ago, the City Council agreed to change the practice that had existed
where the City Council established the date of public hearings for zoning amendments.
This action was taken to shorten the time that was taken to process a rezoning. In this
instance, the City Council has taken specific action to establish the public
hearing date on this very problematic issue but the action taken by Council was
limited to the amendment of the zoning text.
The City staff believes that both the text and Zoning Map amendments should be
handled simultaneously at the March 25 public hearing; therefore, Alternative #1
is recommended. This action will set the date of the public hearing for the amendment
of the Official Zoning Map, and create the opportunity for the City Council to repeal the
moratorium ordinance if the map amendment is approved. Also, this action will create
the opportunity to bring closure to this Central Ames zoning issue.
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