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MINUTES <br />PLANNING COMMISSION <br />MARCH 11, 1993 <br />map. DeLonais asked if any rezonings that the City <br />might feel necessary would occur now or at the time a <br />development is proposed for a site. <br />The City Planner felt there was a drawback to waiting <br />since staff must answer questions and give guidance to <br />developers based on existing zoning. The Planner <br />indicated that developers will not want to spend <br />thousands of dollars drawing up a plan without knowing <br />for certain about key issues such as zoning. <br />DeLonais pointed out that it costs money to rezone a <br />property. <br />The Planner pointed out there will be cost involved in <br />changing the comp plan, but not to update it may result <br />in chasing development away. The Planner pointed out <br />that when the comp plan was first developed, Little <br />Canada was a developing city. The real issues facing <br />the City now are redevelopment, specifically along Rice <br />Street, Little Canada Road and Country Drive. The <br />current comp plan does not speak to these areas because <br />redevelopment was not an issue when the plan was <br />written. When a developer comes in asking questions, <br />City staff has no support in the current comp plan, and <br />the developer and staff are basically starting from <br />ground zero. <br />Drabik pointed out that zoning and zoning codes are in <br />place. <br />The Planner replied that zoning maps change and zoning <br />maps provide little guidance for developers looking at <br />properties. The comp plan will give a developer the <br />issues that are important to Little Canada. The comp <br />plan will tell a developer the criteria that must be <br />met in order for the City to consider certain things. <br />Drabik felt that the current comp plan contained a lot <br />of negative statements. Keis asked how much value the <br />current comp plan held. <br />The Planner pointed out that the comp plan was written <br />in the late 1970's just when many cities were <br />developing their comp plans. The Planner pointed out <br />that the City has evolved quite a bit since that time <br />and the current comp plan has almost no application at <br />all. A comp plan should provide a policy basis to make <br />zoning decisions in the future. <br />Keis felt that the plan needed to be updated, no only <br />for developers but for the Planning Commission and <br />Council as well. Keis suggested that another <br />Page 5 <br />