13 - Zoning Change Request - 418 S.W. 13th Street

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Item No. 13 memorandum TO: Mayor & Council FROM: John Godwin, City Manager SUBJECT: ZONING CHANGE, 418 13th SW DATE: August 7, 2018 BACKGROUND: Jim Lester Auto Repair has applied for a zoning change on a 0.123 acre lot at 418 13th Street SE. The purpose of this request is to change the zoning from SF -2 Residential to Commercial in order to bring this property into compliance. The property includes a single family structure and a shed -type building that is currently used for mechanical repairs of motor vehicles. This is not an allowable home use, so the current activity is in violation of the city's zoning ordinance. STATUS OF ISSUE: A majority of the area is zoned single family. A single large area on the east side of 13th is zoned light industrial. The future land use plan calls for entirely low density residential (single family), so the long-term goal of the plan is for even that single light industrial site to eventually be converted to single family. We therefore believe the current zoning should remain the same. The fact that granting the change would bring the property into compliance is not a relevant factor. The existence of an ordinance violation is, if anything, a mark against the request. On August 6 the planning and zoning commission recommended denial by a 7-0 vote. No one spoke either for or against. RECOMMENDATION: Deny this zoning change request.