MONROE -Businesses in Monroe will find they are no longer permitted to build in industrial areas, but may find a warmer welcome among apartments.
The Monroe City Council Tuesday night set two public hearings for July 15, which will precede votes on changes to the city code for zoning changes.
At a meeting of the Judiciary and Ordinance Review Committee (JORC) Tuesday, City Attorney Rex Ewald said mixed use development was becoming a robust movement nation-wide.
Such a development allows for different uses of the same building, or within a development of more than one building in close proximity of each other, but designed and functioning as a whole. The different uses share vehicle and pedestrian areas.
In such developments seen in larger cities, one building unit may consist of businesses or offices on the ground floor and several floors of apartments above. The intent is to create an atmosphere of community.
The Monroe Common Council set a public hearing date of July 15 for amending the city code for mixed use development, by conditional use permits, in multi-family residential district (R-3) and general business district (B-2).
The city will still retain control over which types of businesses and residential units will be allowed together, on an individual basis.
"There is no situation where a (conditional use) permit can be gotten from the building inspector," without first going through the Plan Commission for approval, Ewald told the committee.
The amendment comes as a result of a potential property owner who sough permission from the Plan Commission last week to establish a floral shop between two residential sections, in one building, on Third Street. The property was last used as a residential care facility.
The commission saw no way to allow a conditional use permit for the property under the present codes without triggering possible future use of the space for business, some of which they may not like there. The conditional use permit would have allowed retail businesses, including automotive parts or fast-food restaurants.
The JORC also recommended to council to restrict businesses from industrial zones, M-1 and M-3.
No committee members could recall when or why businesses were first allowed in industrial zones.
Business which would be effected by the change are along Fourth Avenue West, which would be rezoned to accommodate the types of businesses there.
The council set a public hearing date of July 15 for amending the Monroe city code to delete the permitted use by businesses in industrial zones.
The Monroe City Council Tuesday night set two public hearings for July 15, which will precede votes on changes to the city code for zoning changes.
At a meeting of the Judiciary and Ordinance Review Committee (JORC) Tuesday, City Attorney Rex Ewald said mixed use development was becoming a robust movement nation-wide.
Such a development allows for different uses of the same building, or within a development of more than one building in close proximity of each other, but designed and functioning as a whole. The different uses share vehicle and pedestrian areas.
In such developments seen in larger cities, one building unit may consist of businesses or offices on the ground floor and several floors of apartments above. The intent is to create an atmosphere of community.
The Monroe Common Council set a public hearing date of July 15 for amending the city code for mixed use development, by conditional use permits, in multi-family residential district (R-3) and general business district (B-2).
The city will still retain control over which types of businesses and residential units will be allowed together, on an individual basis.
"There is no situation where a (conditional use) permit can be gotten from the building inspector," without first going through the Plan Commission for approval, Ewald told the committee.
The amendment comes as a result of a potential property owner who sough permission from the Plan Commission last week to establish a floral shop between two residential sections, in one building, on Third Street. The property was last used as a residential care facility.
The commission saw no way to allow a conditional use permit for the property under the present codes without triggering possible future use of the space for business, some of which they may not like there. The conditional use permit would have allowed retail businesses, including automotive parts or fast-food restaurants.
The JORC also recommended to council to restrict businesses from industrial zones, M-1 and M-3.
No committee members could recall when or why businesses were first allowed in industrial zones.
Business which would be effected by the change are along Fourth Avenue West, which would be rezoned to accommodate the types of businesses there.
The council set a public hearing date of July 15 for amending the Monroe city code to delete the permitted use by businesses in industrial zones.