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Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes May 16, 2023 Page 2 1 City Planner Steven Grittman reviewed before the Commission are another set of proposed 2 amendments to the City (and especially Zoning) Code. The City Council briefly discussed the 3 scope and direction of these amendments at a prior work session. The amendments are 4 summarized below and the amendments themselves were attached to the meeting packet 5 provided to the Commission. 6 7 This is a public hearing to review each of the proposals, comment and discuss, and ultimately 8 provide a recommendation to the City Council with Commission’s input on each element. 9 10 Parking and Storage – This pertains to the City’s parking regulations which are found in the 11 Zoning Ordinance, Section 152.179. The components of this set of changes are designed to 12 accomplish a few different things. 13 a.14 First, parking of vehicles on residential property is addressed. The current code language, 15 in various sections, has addressed various aspects of keeping motor vehicles on residential 16 property, sometimes with variable requirements. The materials in this set of amendments 17 are intended to consolidate the requirements, and to create a more usable set of 18 regulations, both for residents and for staff code compliance purposes. The amendments 19 include a new chart and illustration that help show graphically how various properties can 20 be used, and where on the property various “vehicles” can be kept outdoors. 21 b.22 A new set of definitions is proposed to better define what is meant by the current general 23 term “vehicle”. Categories include passenger vehicle, both small and large commercial 24 vehicles, and recreational vehicles of various sorts (motorized RVs, boats, and trailers, 25 utility trailers, etc.) – each of these relates to the chart and illustration for purposes of 26 location, quantity, and surfacing. 27 c.28 On residential property, the code currently allows for exactly 4 vehicles to be parked 29 outside. The amendments proposed a different approach, given some general trends in 30 vehicle size, and the accumulation of other “vehicles” by residential property owners. The 31 change is designed to define specifically where such vehicles can be kept, and the 32 standards (such as pavement) that apply. If parked in those appropriate locations, the 33 numbers would not be a factor. 34 d.35 Commercial and industrial parking is addressed in a few ways, including the applicability 36 of the parking lots for various vehicle types, and a number of changes to the parking 37 quantity requirements certain uses must provide. 38 39 Temporary Structures – Currently, the City Code does not really deal at all with Temporary 40 Structures, although several are used in various ways. This means that technically, they are 41 being used illegally, even though the City has worked with many of the commercial users 42 (such as spring garden centers) to ensure that fire and emergency access is maintained. 43 44 Other uses include tents and canopies for special events – both residential and commercial – 45 and a variety of other applications. This section is intended to standardize the use of these