Planning commission approves zoning text amendments as amended, to forward recommendation to council

The Fort Thomas Planning Commission voted to approve proposed amendments to the city's zoning regulations as amended during the meeting and will forward the commission's recommendation to the Fort Thomas City Council for final action. A public hearing was held before the vote.

During public comment, resident Sharon Mcnite asked whether a property owner can directly request a text amendment or must proceed through the commission. A staff member replied that state law requires that text amendments be processed by the planning commission or city council and that citizens must approach a commissioner or staff to have an amendment considered, while dimensional variances are handled by the board of adjustment. "The state statute requires that any text amendment can only be done by a planning commission or the city council," the staff member said.

Commissioners debated how to record meeting changes in the motion language so the minutes reflect amendments discussed at the hearing. "I would make a motion that we approve the proposed amendments ... to be amended further as discussed this evening at this meeting," a commissioner moved; another commissioner seconded. The chair called the voice vote, and the motion was ordered approved.

The commission also confirmed the procedural distinction between text amendments — which amend the written regulations and require the planning commission's recommendation and a public hearing — and dimensional variances, which are resolved by the board of adjustment. The commission approved the action to be forwarded to city council; council review and final adoption are required before any regulatory change takes effect.