New Zoning Ordinance Amendments Signed into Law by Mayor Smiley

Zoning Ordinance Amendments that were passed by City Council last week were signed into law by Mayor Smiley on Monday. These amendments are the first phase of two total amendment phases being made in order to implement the Comprehensive Plan.

The new zoning map is included below and corresponds with the Comprehensive Plan. You can explore the new zoning map with an interactive tool here.

Some of the phase one zoning changes include:

• R-2 to R-3 — R-2 Residential Districts will be changed to R-3 Residential Districts, allowing additionally for three-family and rowhouse dwellings to be developed within these districts.
  • Unsure of what all of the zoning codes mean? Find the Zoning Ordinance User’s Manual here.

• C-1 to C-2 — Regulations for C-1 Neighborhood Commercial Districts will be deleted. C-2 General Commercial District regulations will be adjusted and refined in regards to vehicle rental, repair, and drive-throughs.
• Dissolve Capital Center Commission — Formed in the 1980s as a development commission, Providence Preservation Society reported last month that this commission is being dissolved as “City officials say that the CCC is redundant, given that the Downtown Design and Review Committee (DDRC) now covers much of the same land and similarly gives input and approval on projects built downtown, which includes the Capital Center area.”
• R-4 changes — For R-4 Residential District, short term rentals must be owner-occupied. (Short term rental here is defined as 28 days or fewer.)
• Multi-family Dwellings — Defined as four dwelling units or more, multifamily units may be developed in low-density residential areas through “a special use permit process that safeguards against student housing and short-term rentals,” according to the Comprehensive Plan. Meanwhile, in medium-density residential areas, “ Multifamily buildings may be appropriate at a density consistent with the surroundings through a special use permit process, and with dwelling unit density bonuses for affordable housing.”

Dana Schneider is a writer living in Elmwood with her one-toothed cat named Froggy. With a background in both public policy and poetry, she is nosy about people, their complexities, and how we experience daily life within and despite the structures around us. She also loves eating the “Hungry Man” special at Seaplane Diner on weekend mornings.