2009-38 AMENDING ZONING ORDINANCE - URBAN CORRIDORS - FENCES - NON-CONFORMING USES

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STAFF REPORT Decatur City Plan Commission COMMON NAME: City of Decatur Zoning Ordinance GENERAL INFORMATION Hearing Date May 7, 2009 Calendar No. 09-24 Requested Action Amendments to Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance#3512) Petitioner Greg C. Crowe, Assistant City Manager BACKGROUND 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 XXI. EXCEPTIONS TO HEIGHT AND AREA; SECTION XXIII. NON-CONFORMING USES; SECTION XXIX, PLAN COMMISSION; AMENDMENTS, SECTION XXX. ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS; and SECTION XXXIV. FENCES. 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. The intent of amending the "Non-Conforming Uses" Section, is to allow more flexibility to citizens and business owners when requesting to reestablish a non-conforming use, expand a non-conforming use, change a non-conforming use to a more restrictive non-conforming use, and/or for any alterations to a non-conforming structure. Under the current ordinance, structures standing vacant or which have not been used for more than one (1) year must come into full compliance with the Zoning Ordinance. The proposed amendments would give owners the opportunity to apply for a Non- Conforming Use Permit which would be heard by the Plan Commission and City Council. The Permit will provide the City and property owners a tool to allow the non-conforming use to be reestablished without rezoning the property. In many of these cases there is a concern that the property and structure will sit vacant and deteriorate if the non-conforming use is not allowed to be reestablished while at the same time the Council is hesitant to rezone the property and possibly allow more intensive uses at that site. The intent of amending the "Exceptions to Height and Area" Section and adding a "Fences" Section to the Ordinance is to help curtail problems and provide more options to residents that City Staff have heard from residents over the years. Such complaints and additional options include, but are not limited to: • The unfinished side of fences being built facing the street and other properties. • Fences which are built in the vision clearance triangle. • Fences which are built higher than the ordinance allows. • The unsightly aesthetic appearance and inherent danger of barbed and razor wire on fences, especially along the Urban Corridors. Barbed and razor wire will only be allowed in industrial districts. Property owners in office and commercial zoning districts will be allowed to petition the Zoning Board of Appeals for a variance to erect barbed or razor wire. • Fences which are built across property lines. • Allow low density residential property owners to build fences up to eight feet adjacent to heavier uses for additional screening.