2006-69 AMENDING ZONING ORDINANCE - PETITION OF DECATUR PARK DISTRICT - AIRPORT OVERLAY DISTRICT

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ECONOMIC AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT MEMORANDUM Memo No. 06-180 August 16, 2006 TO: Honorable Mayor Paul Osborne and City Council Members FROM: Steve Garman, City Manager 1� Dane C. Bragg, AICP, Assistant City Manage� Mark L. Smith, Senior Planne SUBJECT: Amendment to the Zoning Ordin nce (Ordinance #3512, as amended) Section XX,New Paragraph D, Airport Overlay District. SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the amendments to Section XX, a copy of which is attached, creating the Airport Overlay District be adopted. The Plan Commission voted 10-0 to recommend approval of the amendment at the August 3, 2006 meeting; meeting minutes are attached. BACKGROLTND: Staff has prepared an amendment for inclusion in Section XX. Paragraph D establishes the Airport Overlay District (A-OL). This District would be applicable to Park District owned property, commonly referred to as the Decatur Airport. Adoption of the proposed amendment would greatly assist the Park District to provide improved commercial and general aviation services, provide support and ancillary services and to increase their ability to aggressively pursue various economic development opportunities with much greater flexibility than is allowed by the current R- 1 zoning. The proposed amendments also provide a reasonable degree of control on proposed Park District projects that may choose to locate at the Airport and would also provide protection for nearby residents and uses. The specific amendments to Section XX are attached. The following staff analysis reviews the sections contained in Paragraph D, Airport Overlay District. The overlay district concept was incorporated into the Zoning Ordinance adopted in May 2002. Originally, Section XX, Special Districts, was reserved for future amendments which would be intended to provide for the special needs of and reserve a place for creation of overlay districts and other special districts that have a more specific purpose than what more traditional zoning districts might allow. The overlay district could include large institutions and educational campuses and associated uses which normally are established nearby. The first overlay district amendment, in October 2002, created the Institution Overlay District. Decatur Memorial Hospital petitioned for and was granted the first such district in November, 2002. Recently the City was approached by the Decatur Park District for the creation of an Airport Overlay District. The airport property is zoned R-1, Single Family Residential. The Park District is desirous of having the ability to react quickly to changing aviation and economic development opportunities. It believes that ability is greatly diminished by the current R-1 zoning. _ �