Zoning Ordinance Update Budget RequestPlanning Services Depatment
City Hall
50 West 13th
Dubuque, Iowa 52001
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 comolete review and
update for over 10 years.
The Zoning Advisory Commission is responsible for providing recommendations to (ne
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 Comprenensive 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 [he jobs of the
Commission and the staff easier by having the City coaes 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 believee that this update is best done by a consultant working with City staff, the ZBA
the Zoning Commission. the Long Range Planning Commission and others n the
community. We urge you to provide funding for a consultant to work with the City to update
both the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances.
Sincerely,
Eugene Bird,Jr., Chairperson
Zoning Advisory Commission
Planning Services Depamment
February 11 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 CityCouncil
Priority. The Long Range Planning Advisory Commission has supported such an updated far
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 pdority for you then.
Now that the Zoning Ordinance Update is a City Council 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 wa 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 goat 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 wall 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 an(3 Zoning
Page 2 of 3
Board of Adjustment recommend that the City Council fund the apdate of the Zoning Ordinance
and the Subdivision Ordinance as described below
Review/create a more user-fiendiy format with references to other sections that might
include creation of a "unified development ordinance' (a combination of the Zoning and
Subdivision Ordinances), designed to inplement the relevant 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 Ptanning 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 update process.
· The Zoning Advisory Commission and Zoning Board of Adjustment would have an
opportunity to address the zoning and subdivision issues that concern then.
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 of the Zoning Advisory
Commission, the Zoning Board of Adjustment and the staff easier by having the City
codes and regulations reflect the Comprehensive Plan's goals and objectives.
Page 3 of 3
· This coordinated linkage of Comprehensive Plan goals to City codes should ensure
internal consistency within and between zoning districts.
· The updated ordinances aisc should reduce the case loads of the 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 ezplain and that facilitate development, enhance neighborhood quality,
and result in planned and managed growth.
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 Adgsory Commission,
Zoning Advisory 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 for this type of ordinance review and rewsion. 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 CityCouncil
fund the ordinance review and update process as proposed above.
Sincerely,
David Wm. Rusk, Chairperson
Long Range Planning Advisory Commission
Enclosures
CO
Eugene Bird, Jr., Chairperson, Zoning Advisory Commission with enclosures
Michael Ruden, Chairperson, Zoning Board of Adjustment, with enclosures
Planning Services Department
January 31,2003
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 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 asr several years. An
increased caseload is one indicator that an ordinance update is neec ed.
Benefits of this combined ordinance review and update to the ZBA would be:
· The Board would be part of the ordinance rewew 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 reouce the number 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, the ZBA. the Zoning
Commission, the Long Range Planning Commission ano 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.
Sincerely
Michael Ruden, Chairperson
Zoning Board of Adjustment