MOUNT VERNON – City Council agreed to move forward on updating Mount Vernon’s zoning code to modernize it so it’s easier to use and the zoning process becomes streamlined and clarified for development.
Wendy Moeller, the city’s consultant with Compass Point Planning of Cincinnati, presented a planning and zoning code audit during a special City Council meeting on Monday night that included suggestions for improvements to the code and the zoning processes.
“The idea behind this report is to kind of give you a blueprint for potentially updating your zoning code. It's not something you have to adopt,” she told City Council.
Her suggestions covered four areas: reorganizing and reformatting the regulations to improve usability; streamlining and clarifying the procedures for development; restructuring the district and use regulations; and modernizing the substantive standards of the regulations.
To reorganize the zoning code, she suggested that the city consolidate regulations into a single document and add graphics. The code should make it clear that when public improvements are being made, the subdivision standards in the code must be followed.
Moeller also suggested removing long lists of zoning requirements out of the code and handling them administratively.
“Administratively, it's like a checklist with your applications. That way, if you want to add something that's a requirement or remove something as a requirement, you don't have to go through the whole amendment process,” she said.
By updating administrative review procedures, the city could begin streamlining and clarifying development procedures it requires applicants to follow. Other changes would clarify subdivision review procedures and adding transitional regulations.
“You actually have some pretty streamlined procedures,” Moeller said. “I mean, a lot of things can just get to staff and get approval unless you need an appeal or a variance or something like that. And that's a pretty business-friendly approach to begin with.”
For every procedure, the code needs a set of review criteria, she said.
Some of the language on case law on the review criteria for appeals for conditional uses is in the zoning code, but some of it is not up to date, she said. The city needs to make sure that every procedure is clear on what steps must be taken, and also what the city’s boards and what staff is looking at to follow procedures.
The elimination of the Estate Residential District would be one step to restructure the zoning code’s district and use regulations. Moeller’s audit also suggested reducing the number of non-conforming lots by adding a new residential district. The changes also call for allowing more higher-density residential lots and clarifying temporary and accessory uses.
The fourth area of change centers on signs in the modernization of substantive standards.
The next steps urged by Safety Service Director Rick Dzik would be to schedule public hearings on the changes and look for grant funding to pay for the update. These steps would not require legislative action by the City Council, he said.
“I think if we want to get this done in a timely manner, we’re going to need somebody to help do it with us,” Dzik said. “I also think with some of the growth we all think will be coming, we probably want to get it done as soon as possible.”
Planning and Zoning Committee Chair Mike Hillier agreed, with no opposition from the rest of the council.