16 - Zoning Change for Trailers in the Central Area District

Home Browse Search

Item No. 16 TO: Mayor & City Council John Godwin, City Manager FROM: Alan Efrussy, AICD, City Planning Manager SUBJECT: ZONING CHANGE FOR TRAILERS, IN THE CENTRAL AREA DISTRICT DATE: December 5, 2017 BACKGROUND: Over the past several years, the city staff has been incrementally updating the Paris Zoning Ordinance to reflect more modern and technically feasible zoning principles and practice. This agenda item is recommending a modification to the Zoning Ordinance regarding the sale and rental of trailers. In particular, this item is to conduct a public hearing and take action regarding the petition of the City of Paris, Texas, to amend Zoning Ordinance No. 1710 by eliminating the sale and rental of trailers in the Central Area (CA) Zoning District. Based on staff recommendation, at the November 6, 2017 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting the commission unanimously approved the statYprocceding with, the public hearing process for this item. At the December 4, 2017 commission meeting, no one spoke either in favor of or in opposition to, this request and the commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of this amendment to the Zoning Ordinance. STATUS OF ISSUE: During the early part of 2016, while the city staff was preparing recommended updates to the Zoning Ordinance, discussion occurred regarding land uses within the downtown area, largely represented by the Central Area (CA) Zoning District. Ultimately, staff and the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended, and the City Council approved, the elimination of uses that were incompatible with the development of downtown. A use that remained that staff had recommended eliminating was the rental and sales of trailers. This use remained since several citizens commented that during the past several decades these kinds of auto -related uses, including new and used car sales, had functioned in Paris downtown, and for that reason they wanted to leave the trailer use in the CA zone. During 2016 and continuing through 2017, city staff has been discussing and amplifying a series of recommendations, policies, and actions to further advance the future development and enhancement of Paris' downtown regarding land uses, functions, and inarketing opportunities. In light of these continued commitments to further amplify the benefits of downtown, staff is ,strongly recommending that we now eliminate the sale or rental of trailers as a pen-nitted use in