The sidewalk dining ordinance passed back in May but at last night’s City Council meeting, the Council unanimously passed the permit fee structure: no cost till at least next May,…
Category: <span>Gov’t & Policy</span>
Council unanimous decision: No fees for at least a year for sidewalk dining, with or without alcohol
It’s been a long haul. The current Planning Commission, of which I am a member, began the revision of Northfield’s Comprehensive Plan two years ago, in the summer of 2006. Consultant ACP Visioning & Planning was hired at the end of November of that year, and we all thought we’d have the Plan and the associated Land Development Regulations (zoning ordinances) revised by the end of 2007.
So why is it taking so long?
First, a disclaimer. I AM NOT SPEAKING FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION OR CITY STAFF. I’m giving my interpretation of the events. Other commissioners and city staff will, undoubtedly, have a different view of things. I hope they chime in if they disagree.
There are several reasons the process has taken longer than anticipated. There are two revisions taking place in tandem – the Comprehensive Plan, and the Land Development Regulations. These are two separate documents, with the Comp Plan providing the overarching vision, and the Regs providing the specific ordinances controlling land use. The Comprehensive Plan was last revised in 2001. The overall vision expressed in the 2001 Plan is still relevant, but the intervening years have pointed out the need for some clarification. More significantly, the Land Development Regulations, which have evolved over a long period of time, have not been consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
For instance, our Comp Plan may say “no coal plants next to elementary schools”, but if there is no specific, detailed ordinance that applies to that situation, or a conflict in the ordinances, a coal plant next to an elementary school might be legally permissible. (Pardon my hyperbolic example but I wanted to make a point without picking on anyone’s pet issue.)
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