Home | Back

Council members disagree on downtown zoning recommendation

Share_print Print Story    |    Comments    |   

February 28, 2010

by Laura Freeman

Reporter

Hudson -- Council members disagree on the planning commission's recommendation to expand zoning options for the downtown area.

The planning commission has recommended allowing more types of businesses in the downtown zoning district, but some Council members feel that expansion should be limited to a certain section of downtown.

The planning commission on Feb. 8 voted 5-2 to allow research laboratories, enclosed storage facilities, and, workshops and custom small industry uses as conditional uses for buildings in District 5 -- the historic and commercial center of the city, which includes Main Street and First & Main. The zoning change was requested by Inez Butcher, who owns a partially vacant building at 137 Owen Brown St. and was seeking a zoning change to help her fill the 11,200-square-foot facility.

Council member Hal DeSaussure was not in favor of changing the code for all of District 5.

"I'm sympathetic, but could we do it in some other way than changing the code for all of District 5?" DeSaussure asked.

Council member Doug Hasbrouck said planning commission recommended the legislation and encouraged Council to accept its changes even though others voiced concern on how it would impact the district in the future.

"I'm not worried about what is going to happen in five years," Hasbrouck said. "It's conditional use, so it gives [Council] some control."

Council President David Basil said he was concerned about industrial use and wanted the code change to be limited.

Council members said they did not want the new uses -- research laboratories, storage and small industry -- near shopping centers.

Community Development Director Tom King proposed limiting the zoning change to an area west of Morse Road and, or 300 feet from the railroad tracks.

"If we had that limitation, we could support it," DeSaussure said.

There can be some legitimate reason to target the uses to a smaller area, King said.

"Spot zoning is an arbitrary distinction of an area and selects an area without any rational reason why its different," King said. "This area is more narrowly targeted based on rational criteria. It is away from shoppers and adjacent to the railroad tracks."

King will come back to Council March 9 with possible suggestions for the zoning areas. A public hearing is scheduled for March 17 on this issue.




Comments
By Posting to this site, you agree to our Terms of Service Be polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed. Hudsonhubtimes.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post.

Login above or Register to comment.
 0 Total Comments Home | Back