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I MEAN, I CAN START AND MAYBE BY THE TIME I GET TO THE END HE CAN JUST, OKAY.
[City Planning Commission on August 3, 2023.]
GOOD AFTERNOON.UH, I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE JULY 6TH, 2023 PLAN, COMMISSION MEETING.
AND WHEN YOU DO THAT NOW, WHEN YOU SECOND A MOTION, PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELF STILL.
WHO, WHO WAS SECOND ENERGY UP? SECOND.
FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS CASE NUMBER 23 DASH ZERO SEVEN.
PETITION OF PETITION OF CORDERO PATRICK, DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOR PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY OF DECATUR ZONING ORDINANCE, ORDINANCE NUMBER 35 12 AS AMENDED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SECTION 30 ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS.
THE BACKGROUND OF THIS CASE IS THE CURRENT CITY OF DECATUR ZONING ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED IN 2002.
AND OVER TIME, THE STAFF HAD DETERMINED CERTAIN AMENDMENTS ARE NECESSARY TO MAKE ZONING ORDINANCE MORE COMPREHENSIVE AND ACCEPTABLE TO THE CHANGING BUILT ENVIRONMENT WHILE KEEPING THE CHAIN TO THE CATER, UM, LIVABLE WORK IN PLAY.
THIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE REDUCED THE QUORUM FOR Z B A MEETING FROM FIVE MEMBERS TO FOUR MEMBERS, AND ALLOW THE HEARING OFFICER, UH, TO PERFORM POWER AND DUTIES OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS IF NEEDED.
THE DESCRIPTION OF THIS ANALYSIS IS THE CITY HAS RECENTLY HAD DIFFICULTY MEETING, UH, THE QUORUM REQUIREMENTS TO HOLD A Z B A MEETING TO PERFORM THEIR POWER AND DUTIES, INCLUDING HOLDING NEEDED PUBLIC HEARING MEETINGS.
THE Z B A DOES NOT MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS BECAUSE OF A LACK OF PETITION, WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN A FULL BOARD OF MEMBERS OF SEVEN.
THE BOARD OF MEMBER, I'M SORRY, THE BOARD OF APPEALS HAD NO PETITION IN THE MEETING IN 2022 AND FIVE MEETINGS IN 2021.
THE PROPOSED CHANGES WILL PROVIDE THE CITY OPTIONS TO MEET THE ZBA A'S REQUIREMENT IN A TIMELY MANNER.
STATE STATUTE ALLOWED FOR A MINIMUM QUORUM OF BOARD MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF APPEALS AND ALLOWS FOR A HEARING OFFICER TO PERFORM THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF Z B A.
THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE FOR THE HEAT, UM, FOR THE HEARING OFFICER IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE STATE STATUTE.
UH, STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF? I JUST HAVE A COUPLE.
UM, WOULD THE HEARING OFFICER BE ONE OF THE EXISTING HEARING OFFICERS? YES.
AND, UH, WHO WOULD MAKE THE DECISION TO SELECT, I KNOW YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF HEARING OFFICERS, UH, TO SELECT THE HEARING OFFICER AND THEN AS PERSON HEAR THE CASE THAT THE CITY MANAGER, THE MAYOR WHO WOULD MAKE THE DECISION? YEAH.
SO, UH, FOR THOSE, I THINK EVERYBODY KNOW WHO I AM.
THAT WASN'T CORDERA DURING THE PRESENTATION.
UM, SO WHAT, WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WITH AMY IS WE WILL AT LEAST TRY A NUMBER OF TIMES TO HAVE A MEETING BEFORE GOING DOWN THE ROUTE TO HAVING A HEARING OFFICER TO DO THAT.
UH, TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, UM, WE'VE HAD A PETITION THAT HASN'T BEEN HEARD, UH, FOR SIX CONSECUTIVE MONTHS BECAUSE OF A LACK OF A QUORUM FROM Z B A MEMBERS.
UH, AND FALLING TO THE POINT WE WAS LIKE, WELL, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? AND SO WE WENT BACK TO LOOK AT THE STATE STATUTE.
AND STATE STATUTE ALLOWS US TO MAKE THESE CHANGES TO, UM, TO THE, TO THE, THE ZONING ORDINANCE ITSELF, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE PROPOSING IT THAT WAY.
UH, SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, IT WILL LIKELY BE AFTER A COUPLE ATTEMPTS OF NOT BEING ABLE TO HAVE A MEETING, WE WOULD HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH, UH, OUR ASSISTANT, UM, CORPORATION COUNSELOR AND OR THE CITY MANAGER.
AND THEN IF YOU DECIDED YOU NEEDED TO APPOINT A HEARING OFFICER, WHO WOULD DO
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THAT? UH, THE ASSISTANT CORPORATE CO COUN, ONE OF THE ASSISTANT CORPORATE CORPORATE COUN CORPORATION COUNCILS WILL DO THAT.ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? DONE? THANK YOU.
IS THERE ANYONE PRESENT TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS ITEM? IS THERE ANYONE PRESENT TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION OF THIS ITEM? I DID.
DOES THIS CHANGE THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS FOR A QUORUM? DOES IT AFFECT THAT AT ALL FOR YEAH, I'M TRYING TO.
SO IN ORDER TO DO THIS, WE DON'T ONLY NEED TO A QUORUM OF FOUR FOUR FOR THE ZONING, THE VOTE ON MM-HMM.
THEY'RE JUST REDUCING THE NUMBERS.
SO, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOT THE PLANNING COMMISSION, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS.
SO THE, THIS IS NOT A CHANGE FOR PLAN COMMISSION.
THIS IS A CHANGE FOR ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS.
BUT BECAUSE THE PLAN COMMISSION GOVERNS THAT, THE ZONING ORDINANCES OR ANY TAX AMENDMENTS TO THE ZONING ORDINANCES, THAT'S WHY IT'S COMING TO YOU.
RIGHT? THEY'RE JUST REDUCING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE NEEDED FOR A QUORUM.
CORRECT? NOT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE FOR THE COMMISSION ITSELF, I MEAN FOR THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS ITSELF, BUT THE NUMBER FOR QUORUM.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DEANNA? A WEBER? AYE.
APPEARANCE OF CITIZENS, A 15 MINUTE TIME PERIOD IS PROVIDED FOR CITIZENS TO APPEAR AND EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS BEFORE THE PLAN COMMISSION MEMBERS.
EACH CITIZEN WHO APPEARS WILL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES.
NO IMMEDIATE RESPONSE WILL BE GIVEN BY THE PLAN COMMISSION MEMBERS OR CITY STAFF MEMBERS.
IS THERE ANYONE PRESENT? OKAY.
DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR INFORMATION FROM ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS OR, NO.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, JASPER STREET AND YES.
UH, SO, UM, I KNOW SOME OF YOU ALL HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE JASPER GREAT STREETS GREAT NEIGHBORHOODS INITIATIVE, BUT I WANTED TO TAKE SOME TIME JUST TO KIND OF TALK THROUGH A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT PROJECT IS AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO THE PLAN COMMISSION? UH, GREAT STREETS GREAT NEIGHBORHOODS IS A NEW INITIATIVE THAT WE'VE, WE'VE LAUNCHED HERE IN DECATUR, WHICH IS PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR, COMMERCIAL NEIGHBORHOOD CORRIDORS.
THE REASON IT'S CALLED GREAT STREETS, GREAT NEIGHBORHOODS IS, UM, WE NEED TO DO TWO THINGS IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE NEED TO ONE, BUILD NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION CAPACITY TO HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO WORK IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND NOT SOLELY BE DEPENDENT UPON US AS GOVERNMENT AGENCY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND THEN TWO, WHAT IS THE ONE THING THAT THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS UTILIZE THE MOST TO BRING THEM AROUND A COMMON THEME SO THAT WE HAVE COMMON GOALS FOR THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS AND IT'S THE ROADWAY.
UH, ALL OF THOSE, ALL NEIGHBORHOODS FOR THE MOST PART USE CERTAIN, CERTAIN ROADWAYS.
AND SO WE SELECTED JASPER STREET AS THE PILOT FOR GREAT STREETS, GREAT NEIGHBORHOODS, BECAUSE JASPER STREETS RUNS THROUGH ABOUT FIVE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS.
TORRANCE PARK, CLOAK PARK FANS, FIELD, SS I A MARTIN LUTHER KING.
AND SO THIS IS, THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US NOT ONLY TO LOOK AT HOW WE SORT OF REIMAGINE WHAT THE ROADWAY LOOKS LIKE IN FIELD AND OPERATION FUNCTION.
UH, MEANING HOW, HOW WE MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS CAN BIKE IN, WALK SAFELY ON JASPER STREET.
'CAUSE YOU CAN'T DO THAT RIGHT NOW TO MAKE SURE FOLKS CAN SAFELY CROSS THE STREET TO MAKE SURE WE PLACE BUS STOPS IN THE RIGHT PLACES AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
THAT'S THE GREAT STREET SIDE OF THE PROJECT.
THE GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD SIDE OF THE PROJECT IS WHAT ARE SOME OF THE COMMON GOALS THAT THOSE FIVE NEIGHBORHOODS WOULD LIKE TO COME AROUND AND COME TOGETHER AND COME UP WITH AS TO HOW THEY WANNA MOVE THINGS FORWARD FROM A QUALITY OF LIFE PERSPECTIVE IN THOSE FIVE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND SO THE PROJECT AREA FOR THE JA GREAT STREETS, GREAT NEIGHBORHOODS PROJECT IS, UH, AT THE NORTH, IT'S PERSIAN.
SOUTH IS LAKE SHORE ON THE WEST, IT IS MARTIN LUTHER KING ON THE EAST.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT FOR ALMOST 12 MONTHS NOW.
UH, AND SO WE, WE LAUNCHED IT BY HAVING A, I KNOW IF YOU'RE, MAN, WE HAD A, A, A COMMUNITY FESTIVAL BACK IN OCTOBER, UH, LAST YEAR WE HAD ABOUT 350 RESIDENTS TO COME OUT TO KIND OF TALK TO US ABOUT WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU SEE WITH THIS ROADWAY AND WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU'RE HAVING IN YOUR INDIVIDUAL NEIGHBORHOODS WITHIN THOSE FIVE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT I MENTIONED.
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AND WE'VE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH THE COMMUNITY SINCE THEN.WE HAVE A STEERING COMMITTEE THAT'S MADE UP OF THE COMMUNITY AS WELL, UH, INCLUDING RESIDENTS.
AND SO WE'VE KIND OF BEEN IN THE BACKGROUND WORKING, WORKING WITH OUR CONSULTING TEAM, TESSA AND SO HAS BEEN OUR, UM, UH, CONSULTANT TEAM WORKING ON THIS.
AND NOW WE ARE AT A POINT WHERE WE, WE WANT TO GO BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THIS MONTH TO SAY, HEY, WE'VE HEARD YOU BACK IN OCTOBER, WE'VE DONE SOME WORK.
AND GIVE THE COMMUNITY ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND AND SAY, HEY, Y'ALL GOT IT RIGHT.
THIS IS WHAT WE WANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, NO, MAYBE CHANGE THIS AND MAYBE CHANGE THAT.
UM, THE REASON WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY HAS COME UP WITH A VISION STATEMENT FOR THIS AREA.
I WON'T READ THE VISION STATEMENT.
YOU WILL GET A CHANCE TO SEE THAT.
BUT THEY'VE ALSO COME UP WITH THESE FIVE GOALS TO INCLUDE NEIGHBORHOOD CAPACITY, PLACEMAKING, TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING, AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.
SO REALLY KIND OF SEE THIS AS A NEIGHBORHOOD ROADMAP, WELL, NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN THAT SOME WOULD CALL IT, I DON'T CALL THEM PLANS, I CALL 'EM ROADMAPS.
UH, IT'S REAL AS A NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL ROADMAP.
AND SO THEY'VE COME UP WITH THESE GOALS, UH, AS A COMMUNITY, AS, AS THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS COME UP WITH THESE, THESE GOALS AND HOW THEY WANT TO SEE CHANGES HAPPEN TO THE ROADWAY ITSELF ALONG JASPER STREET.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY COMMENTS WE GOT ABOUT THE UGLY VOC ON JASPER STREET.
I THINK WE'VE ALL BEEN UNDER THAT VOC.
UM, THE SCHOOLS HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE, AND SO FOR EXAMPLE, THAT IS ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE ARE SEEKING TO DO SOME IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, THE REASON WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO PLAN COMMISSIONS, BECAUSE THERE'S ALSO GOING TO BE SOME RECOMMENDED, UM, UM, GUIDELINES AS RELATES TO, UM, LIGHTING AND STREET SIGNAGE, UM, UH, COMMERCIAL SIGNS AND THOSE TYPE OF THING ALONG JA STREET AS WELL.
WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO MAKE THESE THINGS, THOSE THINGS REGULATORY, RIGHT? UM, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO BE A BARRIER TO DEVELOPMENT.
BUT WE WANNA HAVE THOSE THINGS AVAILABLE FOR WHEN BUSINESSES AND THOSE TYPE OF FOLKS WANT TO GO IN THAT CORRIDOR AS A RECOMMENDATION, UH, OF WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN FROM A FENCE AND A LIGHTING, A SIGNAGE, AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS FOR THAT CORRIDOR.
AND SO, AS WE BRING THINGS TO THE PLAN COMMISSION THAT IS WITHIN THE BOUNDARY OF THIS PROJECT, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THIS PROJECT AND THIS ROADMAP AS WE MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
AND SO YOU'LL KNOW WHY STAFF MAY BE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION OR, OR AGAINST A RE UH, UH, OR AGAINST A PETITION BECAUSE IT DOES NOT FIT THE MODEL OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS SAID THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE OR HOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THINGS IN THAT PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THIS, UM, I HOPE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
UM, BUT WE, BUT AGAIN, JA STREET IS SORT OF THE PILOT FOR THIS GREAT STREETS, GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVE THAT, THAT WE INTEND TO DO LONG TERM.
UH, WE THINK THE NEXT ONE MAY BE A LOAN GRAND BECAUSE THAT, THAT IS ANOTHER HEAVILY TRAVELED, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR THAT TOUCHES MANY IN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, SO WE ARE HAVING A, UM, IF YOU CAN WRITE THIS, WANNA WRITE THIS DOWN AND, AND DEANNA WOULD SEND, THEY SAVED THE DATE OUT TO YOU AS WELL.
WE ARE HAVING A JASPER SUMMER FEST, AUGUST 24TH AT JOHNS HILL PARK FROM FOUR TO 6:00 PM JOHNS HILL PARK, OCTOBER 24TH FROM FOUR TO 6:00 PM I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU.
AUGUST, OH, I'M SORRY, WHAT DID I SAY? OCTOBER, OH, NOT OCTOBER THIS MONTH.
AUGUST
UM, AUGUST 24TH, 40 6:00 PM JOHNS HILL PARK.
I WOULD HIGHLY ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO COME OUT BECAUSE THE CONSULTANT TEAM WILL BE OUT AND WE ARE GONNA HAVE THIS SPACE BOARDS TO SHOW WHAT HAS BEEN DONE WITH THIS PROJECT AND WHERE IT'S GOING.
SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO VISUALLY SEE THE CHANGES THAT'S BEING PROPOSED TO JASPER STREET.
UH, AND, UH, AGAIN, DEANNA WOULD SEND OUT, SAVE THE DATE TO YOU ALL TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
IT'S GONNA BE A FESTIVAL, UH, VERY SIMILAR IF YOU CAME TO NATIONAL NIGHT OUT.
IT'S GONNA BE VERY SIMILAR TO THAT TYPE OF SETUP AND STRUCTURE.
UH, SO IT'S GONNA BE A FAMILY FRIENDLY, UH, EVENT.
UM, BUT IT IS DESIGNED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET, UH, THE FEEDBACK OF RESIDENTS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN PLANNING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND NOT PLANNING FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU AND SHARE WHAT IT, WHAT, WHERE THIS PROJECT IS.
WE DO INTEND FOR THIS TO GO TO COUNCIL FOR A FORMAL APPROVAL, UM,
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IN SEPTEMBER.UM, AND AS SOON AS WE DO THAT, WE HAVE ALREADY IDENTIFIED A FEDERAL GRANT THAT WE'RE GONNA APPLY FOR IN SEPTEMBER, ACTUALLY, UH, FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROJECT.
THE TOTAL PROJECT FOR THE ROADWAY ITSELF IS ABOUT $10 MILLION QUESTIONS.
IS THERE, IS IT POSSIBLE WE HAVE FAMILIAR WITH IT? YEAH.
IN FACT, LET ME SEE IF I HAVE IT HERE.
UM, SO THERE IS A WEBSITE FOR THE PROJECT.
UH, REMIND ME, DEANNA, WHEN WE SEND OUT THE SAVE THE DATE, WE'LL ALSO SEND A WI SEND THE WEBSITE LINK OUT TO YOU AS WELL.
AND THAT WEBSITE IS GONNA HAVE ALL OF THE PRESENTATIONS FROM ALL OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE MEETINGS THAT WE'VE DONE TO DATE.
UH, THAT AND THAT'S A GOOD POINT BECAUSE THAT'S GONNA, IT REALLY IS GONNA GIVE YOU A TIMELINE.
I MEAN, IT IS REALLY THAT CLEAR, UH, AS IT IS LAID OUT ON THE WEBSITE.
I DUNNO HOW HOWARD BUFFET MADE A SIGNIFICANT DONATION FOR JOHNSON.
IS THAT PART OF, WILL BE THAT PART OF THIS, THAT PART OF THE AREA IS PART OF THIS PROJECT? YES.
DOES ANY OF THAT FINANCING HELP THE CITY OR APPLIED TO THE PROJECT? NO.
NO, BUT, BUT WE ARE DOING, UM, SPECIFIC THINGS IN JOHNS HILL UTILIZING, UH, THE BUFFET FOUNDATION DOLLARS.
WE'VE DONE, UH, NEW STREETS, NEW SIDEWALKS, AND YOU GOTTA DRIVE THROUGH THERE.
I MEAN, UH, WE, WE'VE UM, WE'VE HAD A, WE HAVE A PROGRAM INITIATIVE CALLED CLEANUP GREENUP, UH, INITIATIVE WHERE WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AND ASSISTING HOMEOWNERS, UH, WITH CLEANING THEIR PROPERTIES AND, AND, UM, AND, AND, AND PLANTING FLOWERS AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
WE STARTED THAT INITIATIVE, UM, TWO YEARS AGO.
AND WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS THAT THERE'S BEEN A SHIFT IN MINDSET IN THE AREA, UM, BECAUSE NOW FOLKS ARE DOING THIS ON THEIR OWN, UH, TO THEIR HOMES, WHICH IS WHAT WE WANTED, UH, AS IT RELATES TO THE PROJECT ITSELF.
UH, AND SO, UH, THE ONLY REQUIREMENT FOR THAT IS THAT, UH, WELL ABLE BODIED, UH, HOMEOWNERS, UH, IS TO PUT ONE HOUR OF EQUITY INTO THEIR PROJECTS AND THEY'VE BEEN DOING THAT.
AND SO IT HAS REALLY BEEN A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE, WITH THE RESIDENTS IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND WITH THE BUFFET FOUNDATION.
NOW THIS IS A GREAT STEP FORWARD.
THIS IS, YEAH, THIS IS, WE'VE DONE ABOUT SEVEN, FIVE HOUSES OVER THERE, UH, SO FAR, UH, WITH THAT PARTICULAR INITIATIVE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, THANK YOU ALL.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, INFORMATION? NO.
UH, DEAN, I NEED A MOTION, UH, TO ADJOURN MOTION IN A SECOND.
SUSIE, TED AYE, WE'RE A NURSE.