Councilman Michael Solomon, chairman of the Committee on Ordinances, announced that the committee last night completed its public hearing on the City’s proposed zoning amendments, and will vote on the amended ordinance at a meeting to be held in the next few weeks. The hearing concluded two nights of testimony and deliberation; the first session was held on April 20th.
At last night’s hearing, committee members voted to accept revisions to the originally proposed amendments to the current ordinance; the revisions were presented by Robert Azar, director of current planning for the Department of Planning & Development (DPD). Azar also responded to public comments offered the first night of the hearing.
Councilman Solomon stated that, “The Zoning Ordinance amendments the committee is reviewing are those recommended for adoption in the interim comprehensive plan, which the Council approved in November 2007. The comprehensive plan clearly outlines these zoning changes as ones that should be adopted prior to the completion of neighborhood and specific plans.” Earlier this year, the City Plan Commission voted to recommend that the Council approve the zoning amendments, and referred them to the Council for consideration.
“The zoning amendments as proposed will provide additional safeguards to protect and strengthen Providence neighborhoods, while instituting better procedures to ensure quality development in commercial, residential and other areas throughout the city,” Solomon explained.
Councilman Yurdin agreed, noting that the proposed ordinance “includes important zoning changes that promote greener neighborhoods, close loopholes, and clarify language to ensure basic building standards in residential areas,
and limit excessive surface parking lots.”
Yurdin added that, “These are important changes that the Council can make now to align the zoning code with the interim comprehensive plan. City residents spent hundreds of hours creating a vision for Providence’s future, and we want to make sure that vision is protected, while at the same time, holding off on neighborhood- and area-specific zoning changes until those plans are completed.”
The ordinance committee will vote on the zoning ordinance amendments later this month. If approved, the ordinance will go to the full Council for passage.
