STATEMENT OF ISSUE
Introduction of Ordinance No. 09-O-18; Proposed Amendment to the Land Development Code to update the CU (Central Urban) Zoning Districts, repeal obsolete code sections, and finalize the CU (Central Urban) rezoning project. The proposed ordinance is included as Attachment 1.

RECOMMENDED ACTION
Option 1: Introduce Ordinance No. 09-O-18 and set April 22, 2009 as the first of two public hearings and May 27, 2009 as the second and final public hearing.

FISCAL IMPACT
This Ordinance will be implemented through the existing land development processes in the Growth Management Department. No new costs have been identified.

Wayne Tedder, Director, Planning Department

Anita Favors Thompson, City Manager

For information, please contact: Zach Galloway, Senior Planner, Phone: 891-6400.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL/ISSUE ANALYSIS
HISTORY/FACTS & ISSUES

February 2006: The City Commission adopted sub-districts to be mapped within the Central Urban Future Land Use Map area. Implementation was intended to be applicant-driven until staff time permitted a full scale rezoning.

December 4, 2007: Planning staff presented to the Long Range Community Based Planning Target Issue Committee the rough methodology and intent in mapping the Central Urban Zoning Districts.

August 11, 2008: Staff held an open house for the general public to answer questions and address concerns regarding the proposed zoning changes.

Fall 2008: The Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Commission held public hearings and recommended approval of the Central Urban site-specific rezonings.

Fall 2008 & Winter 2008: The City Commission held public hearings on Central Urban site specific rezonings and adopted the ordinances, thereby creating obsolete passages and references in the Land Development Code.

April 7, 2009: The Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on this ordinance.

April 22, 2009: The City Commission will hold the first of two public hearings on this ordinance.

May 27, 2009: The City Commission will hold the second and final public hearing on this ordinance.

Summary of Application

The proposed amendment will:

• Repeal the CU Central Urban Zoning District (Section 10-131, 10-239). The Central Urban site specific rezonings were undertaken to provide more certainty to the zoning process. Those districts – CU-12, CU-18, CU-26, and CU-45 – have been mapped throughout the Central Urban Future Land Use Map area, and the previous CU Central Urban Zoning District no longer exists.
• Revise the general Central Urban Zoning District language (Section 10-168). The regulations and references contained therein, such as commercial location standards, pertain only to performance-based zoning districts, and thus, are no longer applicable.
• Update the Development Standards Schedule to reflect past zoning changes (Section 10-178). Past Comprehensive Plan Amendments and the current rezoning project have significantly increased potential residential densities in Tallahassee’s urban core, where it is most appropriate. Note ‘I’ is being removed to reflect the past decisions to control allowable densities by the zoning district, rather than according to street access standards.
• Add inadvertently omitted permitted uses to the CU-45 zZoning district District (Section 10-239.4). Planning staff omitted ‘Personal Services’ from the list of permitted uses in CU-45. This category includes common uses like barber shops, fitness centers, or spas. These uses are appropriate in the urban core and should be accommodated.
• Repeal the South Monroe Sector Area interim development standards that are implemented through the CU sub-district development standards (Section 10-430). As noted in the title, this section was an interim step taken to ensure that the community’s vision for Adams and South Monroe Streets was not overlooked prior to formal adoption of urban design standards. With the inclusion of more detailed design standards in the Central Urban sub-districts, the need for the interim ordinance has expired.

CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS
Not applicable

OPTIONS

1. Introduce Ordinance No. 09-O-18 and set April 22, 2009 as the first of two public hearings and May 27, 2009 as the second and final public hearing.

2. Do not introduce Ordinance No. 09-O-18.

3. Provide staff alternative direction.

ATTACHMENTS/REFERENCES

1. Proposed Ordinance No. 09-O-18