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7 In considering various development proposals, the Planning Commission and City Council should be able to identify specific goal or policy statements that they believe are accomplished by the project being presented. If a project cannot meet the goals and policies, it is a clear indication that the project is not consistent with the community’s Comprehensive Plan (even if the land use is proper). At this point, the City needs to decide how the project should be changed to be consistent, or sometimes, whether the Comprehensive Plan needs to be considered for an amendment. Rezoning and Zoning Amendments Zoning Amendme nt - A change to either the text or the map of the Zoning Ordinance. Zoning is the most commonly used technique in implementing the goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan. The Zoning Ordinance is not a goal in itself - it should be thought of as the legal means of ensuring that the goals of the Comprehensive Plan are carried out by private landowners. Together with the Subdivision Ordinance, the Zoning Ordinance works to regulate almost all forms of land use and development. Whereas the Subdivision Ordinance regulates the conversion of raw land to a condition in which it is ready to be built upon, the Zoning Ordinance regulates the physical occupation of the land by a building or use. Types of Amend ments . Zoning Amendments are made in one of two categories: (1) Amendments to the text of the City’s Zoning Ordinance, which apply generally; and (2) Amendments to the map, which apply to specific property. The City’s Zoning Ordinance includes a section which establishes the process for adopting a zoning amendment, including the process and the standard for evaluating the merits of the proposed change. The standards for considering the rezoning are generalized, and do not include details of a particular development scheme. It is not permissible to approve rezonings with conditions. Common rezoning criteria are as follows: i.Traffic levels capable of being handled on existing roadways. ii.Utility demands capable of being served with existing utility capacity. iii.Land Use compatibility with adjoining property. iv.Consistency with Land Use guide plan. v.Environmental concerns (air, soil, water) and potential hazards to the public. vi.Impacts on Schools, Parks or Open Space. Rezoning land from commercial or industrial to residential requires a simple majority of the City Council. On the other hand, rezoning land from residential to commercial or industrial requires the “super-majority” – technically two-thirds of the eligible voters. In most communities, a super-majority consists of a 4/5 vote of the City Council. Vot ing on a n Amendm ent . Where a member is absent, but otherwise eligible to vote, the super-majority requirements would remain 2/3 of the full council. Where the City Council has been reduced to four members by a vacancy on the Council, or a member who is considered ineligible due to a conflict of interest, the requirement is 2/3 of the remaining eligible members. The rules relating to “super-majority” can be complicated when members are