Planning director outlines zoning recodification; council to review TDM and parking rules

Planning Director Matt Lattanzi told the Council the zoning recodification grew from inconsistencies between the zoning map and actual land uses and is intended to clean up conflicting language across multiple sections of the ordinance. He said a draft is near completion and that a presentation to the Council could come in mid‑to‑late June or early July, with an anticipated public process that includes planning-board hearings and further Council hearings.

Councilors asked whether a temporary moratorium should be considered to pause certain development while the recodification proceeds. Lattanzi and outside counsel advised that moratoriums require studies and legal grounding, can be legally challenged and may take as long as or longer to implement than the zoning changes themselves. Lattanzi said existing uses would be grandfathered as preexisting nonconforming uses, but property owners who change use could be affected and should consider subdivision or other protections.

Separately, the Council voted to include a review of the city’s Transportation Demand Management rules in the recodification process after several councilors raised concerns that recent development is outpacing available parking and that the TDM may not be functioning as intended. The Council also ordained an amendment to parking requirements in the Lower Broadway Economic Development District (Item 13) by roll call vote.