Zoning Review Session #4 – Rooming and Boarding Houses
Few topics generate as much reaction in Kent as Rooming and Boarding Houses which is why Tuesday night’s Zoning Review Session is so important. This is the fourth installment of the joint City Council Planning Commission review. The meeting will begin at 7 pm on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 in Council Chambers. Here’s the materials prepared in advance of the meeting.
EMAIL FROM PLANNING DIRECTOR GARY LOCKE
Good Morning:
Attached are the materials related to the next meeting for the Comprehensive Zoning Code Process. Session IV will focus on Rooming and Boarding Houses, and most likely rental properties in a broader sense. As we all know, this is one of the more significant issues that we face in the community and with its high profile, typically generates a lot of calls and complaints. While the primary focus during this discussion will be on what is and is not regulated by the zoning code (as well as what can and cannot be regulated by the zoning code) I would anticipate that we will touch on issues related to rental properties in general.
Given the importance of this topic, we will be breaking the subject down into several parts. The first will be to discuss and attempt to analyze these uses, what types of issues and problems they bring to the neighborhoods and how we may want to look at how we regulate them. The second session (later date) will be to begin to propose potential solutions and code changes to address some of these problems.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 7:00 PM in the City Council Chambers, 325 South Depeyster Street, Kent, Ohio.
COVER MEMO FROM PLANNING DIRECTOR GARY LOCKE
MEETING AGENDA
Session 4 Continued March 17, 2009
Good Afternoon Everyone:
Attached is the agenda and materials for the next joint meeting on Tuesday, March 17, 2009. The meeting will begin at 7:30 PM (since Planning Commission has one case to hear at their regular meeting) and will be held in Council Chambers. Since the last meeting, staff has reviewed some of the comments from the meeting along some of the issues we have to deal with from an enforcement standpoint. We would like to present some proposed amendments to the zoning code that deal with the regulations and requirements related to rooming and boarding houses that we feel should be considered. It is our opinion that these changes could result in better regulations for addressing these uses in the ways that the zoning code can. As always, we are open to input and suggestions.
If time permits, I will also try to give some information on some of our research relating to the licensing of rental properties. I should emphasize that we have not formulated any specific recommendations with regard to a comprehensive rental licensing program but are working toward the point where we can make a presentation to City Council initially to begin a dialogue and get some direction on how/whether to proceed. While that issue may tie into what we are doing with the zoning right now, it is not part of the zoning code. We believe the proposed zoning changes can and should be considered regardless of whether a comprehensive licensing program is implemented or not.
I hope to see you at the meeting on March 17, 2009 and welcome any questions or comments you may have before or during the meeting.
Sincerely,
Gary Locke, Community Development Director
Session 4 Continued April 7, 2009
Good Morning Everyone:
I just wanted to send out a reminder and the agenda for the next Joint City Council, Planning Commission, BZA and Environmental Commission meeting which will be on April 7, 2009 at 7 PM in the Kent City Council Chambers.
Per our last discussion, we will be taking some time to talk about the pros and cons of a comprehensive rental licensing program. While this is not a zoning issue per se, it does tie into the last several discussions we have had on rooming and boarding houses and can serve as a supplement to the regulations in the zoning code regarding these uses. I will have a power point presentation and am hoping that we can have some good discussion on the issue.
I hope to see you there.
JOINT MEETING OF KENT CITY PLANNING COMMISSION
BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION
AND KENT CITY COUNCIL
APRIL 7, 2009
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
KENT CITY HALL
325 S. DEPEYSTER STREET
7:00 P.M.
A G E N D A
I. CALL TO ORDER
II. ROLL CALL
III. READING OF PREAMBLE
IV. ADMINISTRATION OF OATH BY ASSISTANT LAW DIRECTOR
V. CORRESPONDENCE VII. OLD BUSINESS VIII. NEW BUSINESS
A. Presentation and Discussion – An Overview of a comprehensive Rental Property Licensing program for the City of Kent. Basic elements, pros and cons, etc.
IX. OTHER BUSINESS X. ADJOURNMENT
___________________________
Update EMail From Gary Locke, Planning Director, 5/24/10
Good Afternoon:
I am enclosing copies of draft zoning code sections that I have prepared related to the past discussions that we had (last year) regarding rooming houses and home based businesses. Hopefully, I have caught the gist of the discussions of both items based on my notes and what was presented at that time.
I am circulating these drafts in order to give everyone a chance to review them and provide me with initial comments. I would appreciate any comments by June 1, 2010. At that point, I will make potential changes to the draft and create an initial final draft of both. I will continue to work on some of the other sections that still need to be done. The sign draft is pretty complete at this point and I am still reviewing the Design Guidelines per my last discussion and meeting with the Main Street Design Committee.
Given the amount of potential business items that the Planning Commission may be dealing with over the next several months (much of which will be related to the downtown project), we may need to consider having a separate special meeting of the joint group reviewing the code since we may not have time after the regular meetings. I would like to take these two proposed chapters along with most of the others that I will be putting together through the formal amendment process by August if possible. Please let me know your thoughts on one or more special meetings. I am thinking perhaps July 19th, which is a Monday night. Otherwise, we would probably have to go into the first part of August.
Any input would be appreciated. The two draft chapters enclosed attempt to combine all of the requirements for each of the subjects within one chapter of the zoning code respectively, rather than having the various requirements spread out all over the place. The uses would still have to be specified in the text for the various zoning districts in which they would be permitted or conditionally permitted. In respect to the requirements for rooming houses, the draft does not preclude or prevent either the current licensing process or one that could be implemented in the future. I believe that the draft could be plugged into the current code but that some additional sections of the zoning code throughout the book could need revised (removed, modified or added). Once we have the draft pretty well nailed down, I will prepare an accompanying memo which outlines all the changes that would need to be made throughout the zoning code to accommodate each proposed chapter.
As you can see, there is still much to be done but I would to keep this moving forward.
Gary Locke, Community Development Director
CHAPTER 1122 ROOMING AND BOARDING HOUSES
CHAPTER 1119 HOME BUSINESSES
