Potential updates discussed

Portland Plan Commission seems more inclined to update local zoning ordinances in-house rather than hiring a consultant.

Assistant director of Jay/Portland Building and Planning Pati McLaughlin brought up the issue during the plan commission’s meeting Thursday, saying she and director John Hemmelgarn have been working on potential updates internally for a while. 

They said the last major overhaul was led by a consulting firm in 2009 and that the process resulted in some regulations that don’t work for the city.

“That’s some of the stuff that we’ve been going through,” she said.

She added that they are about 95% through the process.

Portland Redevelopment Commission has also had discussions about potential changes to the zoning ordinance stemming from a planning process with Rundell Ernstberger Associates. Issues identified for potential changes include the lot size required for a new building — currently at a quarter acre, most structures in the city are non-conforming — and to make second-floor housing an allowed use.

During a meeting in January, the redevelopment commission received a quote of $141,000 from Rundell Ernstberger Associates for a zoning ordinance overhaul. Redevelopment commission members agreed at their next meeting to take the issue to Portland City Council to gauge its interest in such a process, but it has not yet been on the council agenda.

McLaughlin said the building and planning department has reached out to redevelopment commission consultant Ed Curtin of CWC Latitudes several times to talk about his concerns and potential zoning changes so that they can be addressed. But, she said, such a meeting has yet to happen.

She noted that she is aware one item identified is the lot size requirement, which she agreed does not work for the city. (She noted that the requirement was added in 2009 and had not been part of the ordinance previously.)

“It’s up to the city council if they want to overhaul it and pay to overhaul it, but we’ve been working on it,” said Hemmelgarn. “We’re more than welcome for his advice.”

“We’re in this community and we know what is working and what needs to be done,” he added.

“There’s a lot of easy fixes,” he said.

Plan commission member Kent McClung expressed concern about hiring a consultant to overhaul the ordinance if a good base is already in place. He suggested making adjustments as needed and said he trusts the building and planning staff to lead that process.

City attorney Wes Schemenaur suggested that the building and planning department reach out to Rusty Inman, president of the redevelopment commission, to have a conversation about zoning concerns.

Any changes to the zoning ordinance would first require approval from the plan commission. (In the past, committees have been formed to discuss potential changes and make recommendations to the commission.) The proposed changes then move to the city council, where they can either be approved or sent back to the plan commission for further revision.

In other business Thursday, plan commission members Bart Darby, Ron Laux, Steve McIntosh, Matt Goldsworthy, Kyle Cook, Jerry Alexander and McClung, absent Randy Geesaman and Ashley Hilfiker:

•Elected Darby as president, McClung as vice president and Alexander as secretary.

•Acknowledged the addition of Alexander to the plan commission in place of Lee Newman, who died Nov. 22. Also new to the group are Goldsworthy and Hilfiker.

•Appointed Laux to the board of zoning appeals and McIntosh as a non-voting member of Jay County Plan Commission.

•Appointed McLaughlin as recording secretary.