Council Approves a Series of Zoning Changes, Refers One Item Back to Committee

The City Council approved a series of zoning ordinance changes and changes to the city’s zoning ordinance at its meeting on Wednesday.

One change was to the zoning of some areas, along Burritt Street, to A-2 (multifamily, moderate density), rather than A-1 (multifamily, low density), and T, (single, two, and three-family dwelling), zones. Another change makes other areas, on Alden Street and Albany Avenue, into T zones from A-1 zones.

Other changes approved at the Wednesday meeting included:

• One, “to more clearly describe the setback regulations for accessory structures in all districts.”
• Another, “to remove conflicting or unused provisions in various sections,” making an assortment of zoning ordinance changes.
• Another, “to more clearly describe the fence height requirements in all districts.”
• Another, “to establish maximum impervious coverage requirements in all districts.”
• Another, on, “landscaping requirements to new parking lots having 25 spaces and modifications to lots having 50 spaces.”
• Another, “to establish a definition and separation requirements between smoke shops.”
• Another, creating regulations on, “short term rentals,” of less 27 or fewer calendar days.
• Another, that includes limiting signs in OP, TPC, I-1, I-2, and I-3 zones to, “be of a strictly informative nature and shall be no larger than ten (10) square feet in size.”
• Another created new regulations for maps used in applications submitted to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
• Another makes zone changes along Stanley Street in the East Side, changing industrial zoned areas in to T and “neighborhood business revitalization” zones and, making an industrial zone into a T zone.

While all of the other proposals were approved, one item, concerning, “screening rooftop or ground mounted building mechanicals as well as dumpsters,” was referred back to the Council Zoning Subcommittee. Ald Francisco Santiago (D-1) said that the item required more consideration.

Members of both parties referred to the items approved as being thoroughly vetted.

The zoning ordinance and zoning map changes have been a part of a long series of zoning ordinances and zoning changes in the city, in what Ald Robert Smedley (R-4) referred to as, “cleaning up” the zoning ordinances.