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53 assemblies by including "assembly, lodge, or convention halls" as a use. Because of the changing nature of places of worship in the contemporary era, a religious assembly would not be out of place in a commercial zoning district. Moreover, although a religious assembly may not fully align with the City's intent, allowing such uses within the commercial zoning district establishes a compromise by creating opportunities for religious assemblies to locate themselves in certain areas of the City in which were previously not available under the Zoning Code. Additionally, the commercial zoning district contains retail establishments which can serve amenities for assembly uses, and the presence of assemblies within the commercial zoning district would likely increase the customer base for some of these businesses, thus serving a function aligned with business and commerce. Eliminating all "assembly" use (religious and non -religious) from the light industrial zoning district closely aligns with the City's economic and planning goals. The light industrial district has a primary purpose of developing economic and job growth through industry use. The City has a very limited supply of land conducive to light industrial use near rail facilities and high capacity roadways. It is this limited supply with which the City must work to create a light industrial economic development area. The limited supply also reinforces the City's intent to exclude non -industrial uses from this district. Although a secular assembly, such as an industrial union hall, might support industry, the presence of assemblies (religious and non -religious) in general is counterproductive to the City's economic development goals and to prudent stewardship of a scarce resource, when other areas of the City may be used for that propose. The City has limited space to establish industrial uses, and considering the current state of the economy, it is important that the City Council reserve its space for industry to protect the future economic growth of the City. Overall, to coincide with eliminating the use of assemblies within the light industrial zoning district, and as a means of providing a reasonable alternative to places of worship and secular assemblies, the City might choose to allow the conditional use of all types of assembly, including places of worship, within the commercial zoning district. This world create opportunities for certain groups to find space in a non-residential zoning district while also maintaining the economic development and planning principles that underlie the presence of industry in the City. This would require the elimination of the "assembly, meeting lodge, or convention halls" language currently existing within section 152.142(G) (pertaining to the industrial zoning district) and an amendment to the section pertaining to "assembly, meeting lodges, or convention halls" to include places of worship within the commercial zoning district. Bent, tts ofAllowing "Assembly" in Commercial and Eliminating "Assembly" in Light Industrial ■ This option ensures that the industrial zoning district remains exclusively focused on economic development and job growth pertaining to industry. • This option best aligns assembly use within the Zoning Code to the zoning districts in which they most properly belong. -23- $TODY OPASSBMI3LIES, MIT IING LODGFS, ANDCONVENTION HALLS CITY OF SAINT AN'111ONY VILLAGE