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Zoning Ord Update Budget Reques(563) 589421.0 office (563) 589422~ fax ptanning~cityofdubuque.org The Honorable Mayor and City Council City of Dubuque 50 W. 13t~ Street Dubuque, IA 52001 Janua~ 31,2003 RE: Budget Request for Zoning Ordinance Update Dear Mayor and City Council Members: The City Council has established the Zoning Ordinance Update as a 2002-2007 City Council Priority. The Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) supports the Long Range Planning Commission's request that this update include both the Zoning Ordinance and the Subdivision Ordinance. These regulations have not been updated for more than 10 years. The ZBA is responsible for approving conditional use permits as well as granting variances and special exceptions from the Zoning Ordinance. The Board also hears appeals on the enforcement of the Zoning Ordinance. Our caseload has increased in me last several years. An increased caseload is one indicator that an ordinance update is needed. Benefits of this combined ordinance review and update to the ZBA would De: · The Board would be part of the ordinance review and update process be able to address zoning issues that concern us, and be able to share our experience and expertise. An update of the zoning regulations can reduce the number of requests that the Board sees, by identifying the most common requests and changing the regulations to eliminate the need for ZBA review. · An update of the subdivision regulations can reduce the numoer of requests for variances and special exceptions related to lot requirements. · In the end, the ordinance review and update process should make our job easier and reduce our caseload. We believe that this update is best done by a consultant working with City staff. [he ZBA the Zoning Commission, the Long Range Planning Commission and others in the community. We urge you To /provide funding for a consultant to work with the City to update both the Zoning and Subdivision irdinances. ~_Mi~hael Ruden, C~airperson Zoning Board of Adjustment Planning Servlce. s Department City t-hll 50 West 13th Street Dubuque, Iowa 5200I-~864 ~563) 589-4210 office (563) S8o~4221 f~ planrdng~c/tyofdubuque.org February 11, 2003 The Honorable Mayor and City Council City of Dubuque 50 W. 13t~ Street Dubuque, IA 52001 RE: Budget Request for Zoning Ordinance Update Dear Mayor and City Council Members: The City Council has established the Zoning Ordinance Update as a 2002-2007 CityCouncil Priority. The Long Range Planning Advisory Commission has supported such an updated for several years. Last year, the Zoning Advisory Commission joined the Long Range Planning Advisory Commission in asking that the CityCouncil fund an update of the Zoning Ordinance. The City Council did not fund this request last year, because it was not a priority for you.then. Now that the Zoning Ordinance Update is a CityCouncil priority, and because the Dubuque Comprehensive Plan has been updated, the Long Range Planning Advisory Commission again requests that the City Council provide the necessary funding for this update. We are pleased to report that we are joined in this request by both the Zoning Advisory Commission and the Zoning Board of Adjustment, as evidenced by their enclosed letters of support. DISCUSSION The Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 1995 and updated in 2001. The Proposed Land Use Map was updated in 2001-2002, and approved in November 2002. Two principal tools for implementing the Comprehensive Plan -the Zoning Ordinance and the Subdivision Ordinance - have not been updated in over 10 years. For many years, the City Council has had a goal for planned and managed growth. To ensure that the Comprehensive Plan is a relevant guide for planned and managed growth, the tools that implement the Comprehensive Plan must be relevant. Consequently, the Long Range Planning Advisory Commission supports review and revision of the 1985 Zoning Ordinance as well as review and revision of the 1991 Subdivision Ordinance, based on the 2001 update of the Comprehensive Plan. The Long Range Planning Advisory Commission, Zoning Advisory Commission, and Zoning Page 2 of 3 Board of Adjustment recommend that the City Council fund the update of the Zoning Ordinance and the Subdivision Ordinance as described below. Review/create a more user-friendly format with references to other sections that might include creation of a "unified development ordinance" (a combination ofthe Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances), designed to implement the relewnt goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan. Review the Building Services Department's sign regulations and the Federal Fair Housing requirements. Review/incorporate recommendations of the Affordable Housing Task Force Review/integrate Downtown Master Plan goals and objectives into the Zoning Ordinance. Evaluate the number of and kinds of cases heard by the Zoning Board of Adjustment as well as the limited setback waivers approved by the Planning Services staff. Review the land use and development provisions of the City's various urban renewal plans. Updates of the Zoning Ordinance and the Subdivision Ordinance will benefit the City Council, Long Range Planning Advisory Commission, Zoning Advisory Commission Zoning Board of Adjustment, City staff and the community in these ways: · The Long Range Planning Advisory Commission, Zoning Advisory Commission and Zoning Board of Adjustment would be part of the ordinance review and u odate process. · The Zoning Advisory Commission and Zoning Board of Adjustment would have an opportunity to address the zoning and subdivision issues that concern them. The Zoning Advisory Commission and Zoning Board of Adjustment would be able to share their experience and expertise with changing development patterns and practices in the community. · The Long Range Planning Advisory Commission and the Zoning Advisory Commission also would be able to address fringe area development. The ordinance review and update process should make the jobs ofthe Zoning Advisory Commission, the Zoning Board of Adjustment and the staf~ easier by having the City codes and regulations ret~ect the Comprehensive Plan's goals and objectives. Page 3 of 3 · This coordinated linkage of Comprehensive Plan goals to City codes shou[d ensure internal consistency within and between zoning districts. · The updated ordinances also should reduce the case loads ofthe Zoning Advisory Commission, Zoning Board of Adjustment, City Council and staff. · Requests for variances, special exceptions and rezonings should be fewer. As a result of the update, the Citywould have coordinated and user-friendly regulations that are easier to explain and that facilitate development, enhance neighborhood quality, and result in planned and managed grov~h. RECOMMENDATION The process for implementing this City Council priority should involve a consultant working with a project steering committee. In addition to the Long Range Planning Advisory Commission, Zoning ^dvisory Commission, and Zoning Board of Adjustment, City staff and community stakeholders should be represented on this project steering committee. The Planning Services staff contacted the American Planning Association and several planning firms about the estimated cost Dr this type of ordinance review and revision. The projected cost is $130,000 for consultant fees and public relations. The Long Range Planning Advisory Commission, in conjunction with the Zoning Advisory Commission and the Zoning Board of Adjustment, respectfully requests that the City Council fund the ordinance review and update process as proposed above. Sincerely, David Wm. Rusk, Chairperson Long Range Planning Advisory Commission Enclosures CC Eugene Bird, Jr., Chairperson, Zoning Advisory Commission, with enclosures Michael Ruden, Chairperson, Zoning Board of Adjustment, with enclosures Plm~fn$ Services Depar[ment City HaJ1 50 West ?~3th Street Dubuque, Iowa 520014864 (563) 589-4210 office (563) 5894221 fax plam'&ng'~cityo£dubuque.org February 4, 2003 The Honorable Mayor and City Council City of Dubuque 50 W. 13th Street Dubuque, IA 52001 RE: Budget Request for Zoning Ordinance Update Dear Mayor and City Council Members: The City Council has established the Zoning Ordinance Update as a 2002-2007 City Council Priority. The Zoning Advisory Commission supports the Long Range Planning Commission's request that this update include both the Zoning Ordinance and the Subdivision Regulations. These regulations have not had a complete review and update for over 10 years. The Zoning Advisory Commission is responsible for providing recommendations to the City Council on rezonings, planned unit developments, ordinance amendments, and subdivision plats. We work with the both the Zoning Ordinance and the Subdivision Regulations month in and month out. At times, we have questions about how the zoning and subdivision cases conform to the Comprehensive Plan. We believe that an ordinance update based on the Comprehensive Plan would benefit the Zoning Advisory Commission in a number of ways: The Commission would be part of the ordinance review and update process, be able to address zoning and subdivision issues that concern us, and be able to share our experience and expertise. An update of the zoning and subdivision regulations can reduce the number of requests that the Commission sees, by identifying the most common requests and changing the regulations to respond to community needs. An update of the zoning and subdivision subdivision regulations also would give the Commission an opportunity to explore the concept of mixed-use development. · The Commission also would be able to address fringe area development. The ordinance review and update process should make the jobs of the Commission and the staff easier by having the City codes and regulations reflect the Comprehensive Plan's goals and objectives. · This coordinated linkage of Comprehensive Plan goals to City codes would improve the consistency of regulations between zoning districts We believ,,4e that this update is best done by a consultant working with City staff, the ZBA, the Zo~g Commission. the Long Range Planning Commission aha others in the community. We urge you to provide funding for a consultant to work with the City to update both the ,,Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances. Bird,~?sor Zoning Advis~ommission