The city board of directors held a workshop prior to their final meeting of January to have an open-ended discussion about the concept of zoning, what its purpose is and much more.
The idea to hold the workshop, which the city referred to as "Zoning 101," was first conceived toward the end of 2018 when some board members requested that the city develop a presentation to refresh the memories of existing board directors on the topic and to educate the three new directors who took their posts earlier this month. The city provided a PowerPoint to guide the discussion, the highlights of which are listed below.
Intent and objective
The role that zoning regulations play in the development of a municipality is crucial, as they separate the city into different sections based upon what the given developments in each section are used for, according to the PowerPoint. This is the reason that certain areas of the city have large swaths of land dedicated solely to residential housing, other areas of the city contain shopping complexes and convenience stores while others are used for industrial purposes, such as factories or production plants.
These three things highlight the three major areas of zoning that are often the subject of many rezone proposals that can result in conflicts: residential, commercial and industrial zoning. Without it, however, it is likely that more problems would be created than solved. This is because the main purpose of zoning regulations is to protect the well-being of citizens by way of city regulations, which force a certain development whose uses are inconsistent with one another to be located in a separate area of the city, according to the PowerPoint.
Benefits that result from this include security and conservation of property values, preventing overcrowding due to density regulations for different developments and another measure utilized in the zoning process which are referred to as "setbacks," according to the PowerPoint. In short, setbacks are the reason that structures cannot be too close together, and the setback requirements vary depending on the type of zone being evaluated.
Land use and its requirements
The city currently has three categories for land use within its zoning districts: Permitted uses, which are allowed by right; prohibited uses, which are not allowed under any circumstance; and special, or conditional, uses, according to the PowerPoint. However, having or obtaining the correct zoning for a given development is only the first obstacle an applicant must overcome to see a development's full completion.
Additional obstacles include what are referred to as "bulk and area" requirements, according to the PowerPoint. These requirements are in place to establish certain criteria that must be met for a certain development that is in a certain zoning district before its construction can even begin. They include things such as the maximum height a given structure is allowed to be, the maximum density that is permitted for different residential zones, landscaping requirements to ensure an adequate amount of green space is preserved or the minimum setback requirements for a certain development.
Overlay districts
An overlay district is a special category of zoning districts that typically encompasses multiple types of zoning districts that fall within their boundaries, according to the PowerPoint. There are also additional provisions and standards for an overlay district that are often different from, but take precedence over, the provisions of the base zones within them.
Currently, the city has two overlay districts: The "H-1 Overlay District," which applies to historical commercial areas of the city of certain residential areas near downtown, and the "H-1 Downtown Overlay District," which covers the downtown area as a whole. The purpose of both is to "enhance and protect the utility, beauty, enjoyment and value," according to the PowerPoint. "... to operate as an overlay zone to all existing (base) zones for the purpose of allowing all stated provisions herein to be applied in place of the base zoning provisions."
Prioritizing the discussion of overlay districts during the workshop was a result of a controversial rezone application for a property located at 817 N. Mt. Olive, as well as requests from board members since that time for it's interpretation and applicability to be better clarified. The application was ultimately withdrawn by the applicant following substantial backlash from residents and it was also inconsistent with the 2030 future land use map, but the city recommended its approval anyway.
The reason for their recommendation was because although the property in question is zoned as R-2 (residential, single-family), it is within the H-1 Overlay District, which allows for up to 20 dwelling units on such a property. In response, the city adopted an ordinance during their Jan. 2 meeting that will reduce the permitted density requirements for residential zones -- specifically, R-2 (residential, single family), R-3 (residential, two family/duplex) and R-4 (residential, multi-family -- within the overlay district as well as increase setback requirements for these residential zones.
Although it was a brief workshop, some board members expressed appreciation to city staff for preparing the presentation and said that it cleared up some questions they still had about the topic. The city board will hold its first meeting of next month at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 5 at City Hall. It is open to the public and for those who cannot attend, a video of the meeting will be recorded and uploaded to siloamsprings.com.
General News on 01/23/2019