The City Planning Commission (CPC) is charged with developing and maintaining a comprehensive plan that provides a vision of what the City will like in 20 years.  The CPC is also charged with managing the zoning ordinance - the main tool used ot implement the comprehensive plan and regulate land use.  Another responsibility of the Commission is to review various types of development proposals within the City, based upon the guidance provided by those resources.

Membership and Staffing

The City Planning Commission (CPC) is comprised of nine members.  The Mayor, the City Manager, and a Councilperson are automatically members of the Commission.  The other six members are appointed from among the citizenry of the City.  The Councilperson and citizen members of the Commission are appointed by the Mayor with the consent of the City Council.

The CPC is staffed by the employees of the Region 2 Planning Commission (R2PC) as well as the City’s Chief Zoning Official.

An ongoing responsibility of the City Planning Commission (CPC) is to review various types of development proposals within the City. The chief responsibility of the R2PC staff is to provide recommendations to the CPC regarding those proposals.  The City’s zoning inspector is charged with administering the zoning ordinance on a day-to-day basis.  The Deputy City Attorney is available to consult on the legal ramifications of the decisions made by the Commission.  Other municipal officials are also consulted as needed.

• Zoning Ordinance Amendments
  The Commission makes recommendations to the City Council on proposed amendments to the zoning ordinance.  Amendments to the ordinance must be approved by Council because only they have the authority to change municipal laws.  There are two types of amendments:
• District Changes (Rezonings) — Land owners have the right to petition the City for a change in the zoning of their property.  The City can also initiate a change in zoning.  The CPC recommends approval or disapproval of the request to Council.
• Text Amendments — The zoning ordinance is not intended to be a static document and often needs to be amended.  The CPC recommends ordinance text changes to Council.
  
• Planned Unit Developments (PUD)
  The Planning Commission makes recommendations to the City Council on PUDs, which allow the City to set aside zoning ordinance regulations in light of other considerations.  The establishment of a PUD is considered to be an amendment to the ordinance.  Several types of PUDs are allowed under the City’s zoning ordinance: 
• Planned Unit Development Districts (PUDD) — The Commission makes recommendations to Council on PUDD proposals, which allow for a mix of land uses that would not otherwise be permitted under the zoning ordinance. 
• Planned Unit Residential Developments (PURD) — The Planning Commission makes recommendations to Council on PURD proposals, which allow the City to set aside dimensional ordinance regulations (e.g., building setbacks, building) in light of other considerations. 
• Planned Building Group Shopping Centers (PB) — The CPC makes recommendations to Council on PB proposals, which allow for the development of large commercial developments with many tenants.
  
• Other Project Zoning Reviews
  The City’s zoning ordinance provides the Commission with the final authority on several other types of zoning reviews that often govern project proposals: 
• Conditional Use Permits (CUP) — Land uses which require a CUP in certain zoning districts allow the CPC to exercise additional control over those developments in order to ensure that it will have a minimal impact on adjacent and other nearby properties. 
• Site Plan Reviews (SPR) — Land uses which require a SPR also allow the Planning Commission the opportunity to affect development proposals in order to ensure that it will have a minimal impact on neighboring land. 
• Class A Nonconforming Use Designations — Land uses that existed before current zoning regulations went into effect are designated as nonconforming uses and allowed to continue.  The zoning ordinance permits the CPC to allow for a change in the type of nonconforming use as long as the proposed change lessens the effect of the nonconformity on neighboring properties.
  
• Alley and Street Vacations
  Streets and alleys that are closed still exist legally and can be reopened.  The vacation of alleys and streets expunges their rights-of-way (ROW) legally.  The vacated ROW is then divided along its centerline and retuned to the adjacent properties from which it was appropriated.  The CPC recommends approval of disapproval of proposed vacations to Council.

'CLICK' HERE TO OBTAIN APPLICATION FORMS FOR THE VARIOUS ZONING REQUESTS

2010 Meeting Schedule

The City Planning Commission generally meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm in the Council Chambers (2nd floor) of City Hall.

The CPC also maintains a schedule of application deadlines for each meeting.  ‘CLICK’ HERE TO VIEW THE SCHEDULE

Important City Planning and Zoning Documents and Websites

• 2003 Comprehensive Plan
• 2005-2009 Recreation Plan
• Zoning Notes
• Official Zoning Map
• Code of Ordinances
  (Zoning Ordinance is Chapter 28)
• Zoning Board of Appeals Homepage
• Community Development Homepage