JACKSON PANEL TO HOLD PUBLIC HEARING ON ZONING ORDINANCE

The Jackson Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing next week to discuss details of the city's new zoning ordinance.

Jackson Mayor Paul Sander urged realtors, developers, home builders and property owners to attend the hearing, which begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday at city hall.

"The Planning and Zoning Commission wants to explain the changes and new classifications in the proposed zoning ordinance and gather input and suggestions from the public," said Sander. "It's important that anyone involved in building construction or subdivision development attend the hearing."

Both Sander and Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Larry Hall emphasize the changes in the new ordinance will not affect the existing zoning classification of any property. Only the new development that occurs after the proposed ordinance is adopted most likely, later this fall will be affected by the new ordinance.

"Basically, what the Planning and Zoning Commission wants to do is update our zoning ordinance that has not been changed very much since the 1960s," Sander explained. "There are a number of new classifications that have been added to the proposed ordinance that we think will help in the orderly growth of Jackson. The thing to keep in mind is that no one's property is going to be rezoned as a result of the new ordinance."

Hall says the proposed ordinance will spell out in more detail zoning requirements for residential, commercial and industrial development. "None of it is more restrictive. We're trying to do this for the safety of the city and preservation of property values while allowing for the proper growth of the city in the future," he said. "I think once people have an opportunity to hear what we are proposing in the ordinance they will understand."

Sander noted any non-conforming property would be "grandfathered" and not subject to the changes contained in the proposed ordinance.

Among the changes proposed are those in the residential zoning classifications. For example, in the new ordinance, all R-1 residential lots would be required to have a minimum of 12,000 square feet, with a minimum 100-foot frontage.

The requirement for R-2 single family lots would be a minimum of 8,000 square feet, and 10,000 square feet for lots that contain two-family duplexes.

For R-3 lots, the minimum for a single family unit would be 8,000 square feet; for two-family units, 10,000 square feet; and for multiple family units, 12,500 square feet, and an additional 2,500 square feet for each family unit over three.

City officials point out that although duplex housing is permitted under the proposed ordinance on ~R-2 and R-3 lots, a special use permit is also required before duplex units can be constructed.

In addition to other changes in commercial and industrial classifications in the ordinance, Hall said a Community Unit Plan has been added.

"This is something new. The plan gives the owner of a large tract of land a method to develop the property with a mixture of single-family and multiple-family units and commercial structures. It's a good plan. It will help the developer and at the same time protect residents from encroachment by commercial development," said Hall.

Sander said the proposed zoning ordinance will actually be less restrictive because it gives the P&Z more choices in its zoning actions. "It sounds complicated, but when you read the ordinance and understand what it will do, it makes a lot of sense. You can tell that a lot of time was put into the preparation of the ordinance," he said.

Following next week's hearing, Hall said the P&Z will review the public input, make any changes they feel are necessary, and send the proposed ordinance to the board of aldermen.

Sander said the board will then schedule its own public hearing probably in September or early October to gather more comments on the proposed zoning ordinance.

Sander said: "We'll use the same format as the P&Z's public hearing. After our public hearing, the aldermen will discuss the public input, make any changes they feel are necessary, based on the public input, and vote on the ordinance. We expect the vote on the ordinance will take place in October."