The audience member added “So much for transparency at City Hall.” The comments were prompted because there were no copies of the wording of the changes available to the public.
All that was available was a list of the proposals along with the words “approve,” “deny,” or “move request to 2010 process,” but not the actual language as modified in past weeks by the City Council.
In brief, the Council:
- Approved a request by Hal & Susan Rooks to include one block, between 10th & 11th Streets and M & N Avenues be rezoned from R4 to R3 and be included in the Old Town Overlay, which places a number of restrictions on development.
- Denied a request by Council member Cynthia Richardson to rezone a one-half block stretch of 4th Street between T & U Avenues to residential. Four homes are on the half-block just north of 4th.
- Denied another request to lower the maximum building height from 50 ft. to 30 ft. in the same area to create a buffer between the homes and the marine industrial area to the north.
- Removed language referring to so-called “in lieu of” payments when developers don’t have space for off-street parking stalls.
- Approved restricting commercial parking lots and parking for commercial establishments in the Old Town area.
- Approved new language regarding general design standards on Commercial Avenue street frontage.
- Deferred to next year other proposals concerning wind energy systems, mixed residential/commercial use, retail design guidelines, tree preservation, and other zoning requests.