2010-71 AMENDING ZONING ORDINANCE - MULTI-TENANT SIGNS AND BUFFER YARDS

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DEVELOPMENT SERVICES MEMORANDUM No. 10-77 September 15, 2010 TO: Honorable Mayor Michael T. McElroy and City Council FROM: Ryan P. McCrady, City Manager Greg C. Crowe, Assistant City Manager Suzan M. Stickle, Senior Planner SUBJECT: Amendments to Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance#3512) SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the amendments to the City of Decatur Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance #3512) as proposed. The City Plan Commission voted 8-0-1 to recommend approval of this petition as amended at the September 2, 2010 hearing; the minutes of the meeting are attached. The current City of Decatur Zoning Ordinance was adopted in May of 2002. Since the time of adoption, Staff has discovered certain necessary changes, discrepancies and omissions as the new ordinance has been implemented, specifically in SECTION •II. DEFINITIONS, SECTION XXV. SIGNAGE and SECTION XXVIII. LANDSCAPING AND EXTERIOR LIGHTING. It is Staff's hope that these changes will make the Zoning Ordinance more comprehensive and applicable to the changing built urban environment all the while keeping the charge of making Decatur a beautiful place to live, work and play. BACKGROUND: The intent of adding a definition for multi-tenant signs is to allow an entire development to utilize a multi-tenant sign for identification purposes. Currently a multi-tenant sign can be used to identify multiple businesses on the same parcel of land and not for an entire commercial development or industrial park. With the change in definition, there is a change in the signage section that will allow for one (1)multi-tenant sign per development. Currently, the Zoning Ordinance does not require buffer yards to be placed along property lines that are located adjacent to residential uses in the City limits nor adjacent to neighboring jurisdictions. The proposed amendment will require a buffer yard when a development is located adjacent to property that is a residential use in the City limits or neighboring jurisdiction. This change will help to protect those residential uses in neighboring jurisdictions that are not currently protected by the City of Decatur Zoning Ordinance as well as residential uses within the City limits. POTENTIAL OBJECTION: There were no objectors present at the Plan Commission Meeting. INPUT FROM OTHER SOURCES: N/A STAFF REFERENCE: Any additional questions may be forwarded to Suzan Stickle at 424-2786 or at sstickle@decaturil.gov. BUDGET/TIME IMPLICATIONS: None.