Council adopts Chapter 24 zoning code cleanups; Planning Commission signaled larger changes ahead

Ferndale City Council on June 23 adopted a set of revisions to Chapter 24 of the city zoning code meant to correct inconsistent terminology, clarify definitions and fix drafting errors in the recently updated code.

The changes were recommended unanimously by the Planning Commission after a public hearing on May 14 and were presented to council as largely technical and implementation-focused edits. Council adopted the changes as recommended by the Planning Commission.

Why it matters: The revisions smooth implementation of the new land-use plan adopted in 2022 by aligning the zoning code language with the plan’s categories and correcting references that could complicate permit review. City staff said the edits are intended to remove duplicate provisions, clarify use charts, and make residential descriptors consistent across the document.

Key edits and discussion: Staff said the amendments replace inconsistent terms (for example, changing “single family” to “1 unit” and “duplex” to “2 unit”), add missing definitions to the use chart, clarify rules on vacant and abandoned businesses and accessory structures, and remove duplicated lighting provisions now in the environmental article. The code’s clear-vision area language was amended to exempt existing buildings and allow the potential installation of convex traffic mirrors to address sight-line concerns.

A notable correction addressed a red-line typo affecting front-setback language in the MXD (mixed-use) districts: staff reported a misplaced superscript that affected the displayed minimum and maximum setbacks for MXD-1 and MXD-2 on the red-line drafts. Planning staff and commissioners recommended adopting the Planning Commission’s version to supersede the typo.

Council members who had followed the Planning Commission’s hearing said commissioners had questioned the pace of changes at that meeting and had tabled more substantive items for later, dedicated review. “There were items we needed to have further investigation on,” the Planning Commission liaison said, and the commission brought forward the limited, cleanup items for council action now.

Outcome and next steps: Council approved the ordinance amendments. Staff and commissioners indicated additional, more substantive zoning amendments will be studied and returned to the Planning Commission and council in the future. The council requested opportunities for a pre-meeting briefing when large, complex code drafts are anticipated so council members can review changes in greater detail before a formal vote.

Provenance: The topic began when the council read Item 8A into the record and concluded with the motion, second and roll-call vote recorded on the council floor.