Memorandum 14-117 Update on East End Road Zoning

Memorandum 14-117
 

TO:                  MAYOR WYTHE AND HOMER CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH        WALT WREDE, CITY MANAGER
FROM:             RICK ABBOUD, CITY PLANNER

DATE:                 July 23, 2014

SUBJECT:     UPDATE ON REVIEW OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN RECOMMENDATION ON EAST END ROAD ZONING 

At request of the City Council, the Planning Commission (PC) is in the process of reviewing the zoning option suggested in the Homer Comprehensive Plan (HCP) for the near section of East End Road. The HCP references a zone for consideration called “Neighborhood Commercial East End Road,” describing limited numbers of small scale local serving commercial areas, designed to meet the convenience commercial service needs of the neighborhood residents….” The area for consideration is roughly from Mattox to just past Paul Banks.

This has been discussed at several meetings so far. First, an area was mapped out for consideration with the assistance of Councilmember Van Dyke. Further described in the HCP is a Residential Office District (RO) with an allowance for more commercial and retail uses than presently found in RO. With a map (usually left on the wall of the Council Chambers) and the base code of the RO district, the PC reviewed a list of every other permitted and conditional use presently allowed in the city for inclusion in the district.

After due consideration of absolutely everything that was an option for inclusion in the district, the result was that it varied little from what is presently allowed in RO. Some of the guiding thought was that the HCP supports infill development and a concentration of business activity in the downtown core while discouraging strip development. It was not thought to be a good idea to pull business away from the downtown core which has many infill opportunities. The location is not at such a distance from the established commercial district to really introduce much additional convenience. Additionally, the PC did not want to support activities that would introduce a significant amount of traffic along East End Road which is currently designed without turning lanes and tends to be a bit congested at the start and end of the work day. At this point, the thought was that it really was not useful to make yet another type of zone.

A motion was made and supported at the last meeting to advertise and hold a public hearing for consideration of expansion of the RO district. The Public Hearing will be held at the August 6th meeting of the HPC.