01-09-17 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR MEETING JANUARY 9, 2017 PRIMARY USES IN CBD CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT; AND ARTICLE 11 BY ADDING THE DEFINITION OF SHARED HOUSING Councilmember Oliver Davis, Chair of the Zoning and Annexation Committee, reported that they met this afternoon and send this bill forward with a favorable recommendation. Councilmember Karen White made a motion to accept Substitute Bill No. 72 -16. Councilmember Dr. David Varner seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of eight (8) ayes. Angela Smith, Area Plan Commission, with offices on the 11th Floor of the County -City Building, served as presenter of this bill. Ms. Smith stated that the attached amendment looks at a conversation that was recently brought up about group residence in the Central Business District. She stated, It has been identified that there's been a desire to have increased density downtown, so we continued to explore, at the Council's suggestion, ways that that could happen. One (1) of the options we found was to actually add a use called Shared Housing. The definition will allow for up to two (2) people per bedroom; no more than four (4) per dwelling unit. The attached amendment proposes to add it as a permitted use. On the west of the river, it would be permitted on the second floor of a kind of business. East of the river, it would be permitted outright, similarly to the Multi- Family in both of those areas, east and west of the river. Ms. Smith stated that this comes from the Area Plan Commission with a favorable recommendation. The proposed changes recognize a demand for housing alternatives with a more densely populated Central Business District. Councilmember Gavin Ferlic, 1109 Duey Avenue, South Bend, IN, served as petitioner of this bill. Councilmember Ferlic stated that this bill came out of a discussion at the City Council level, out of an appetite for the consideration of allowing more than two (2) unrelated persons in the Central Business District, with the hope of increasing density. Up to four (4) unrelated persons would be allowed, as long as there were two (2) bedrooms. Councilmember Ferlic explained that the cap was set at four (4) so that if there was a desire to house five (5) or (6) unrelated persons, a special exception could be applied for. Councilmember Jo M. Broden asked how this might affect other districts. Councilmember Ferlic explained that, as written in the bill, this addition of a permitted use was only meant to affect the Central Business District without expanding into any other district. Ms. Smith stated that at this point, the language of the ordinance is very specific about its intention to uniquely affect the Central Business District. Councilmember Broden asked what sort of input the petitioner had sought from neighborhood associations or anyone else. Councilmember Ferlic responded that there is no neighborhood association that represents the Central Business District, though he did receive positive feedback from, in particular, the NNRO. Councilmember Broden stated that there is some neighborhood overlap between Howard Park, East Bank, and the Central Business District, but that she appreciated the petitioner's efforts. Those of the public wishing to speak in favor of the bill: Jesse Davis, P.O. Box 10205, South Bend, IN, stated that he was in favor of the bill, though he felt that a specific area and group of people were being catered to with this bill. He found it to be borderline discriminatory, referencing the City's homelessness issue. He recommended special exceptions in other neighborhoods so that, for instance, a house could reasonably be occupied by seven (7) residents without the property having to be a licensed Group Home. No one from the public wished to speak in opposition of the bill. Councilmember Ferlic stated that he welcomed discussion with other neighborhood associations to see if this is something people want to see in other neighborhoods. He stated that he did not think that any neighborhood association had yet expressed a desire to see this rule expanded to