At the May 12 City Commission, elected officials voted to schedule a public hearing on June 16 to take up the “Neighborhood Compatibility Ordinance.”
The ordinance proposes 34 new Zoning Code development standards designed to make new development more compatible with adjoining residential neighborhoods.
The 34 proposed development standards address 6 issue areas, including design standards for commercial signs on local roads, buffers for buildings greater than 2 stories, buffers for trash enclosures and loading zones, buffers for drive-throughs, lighting standards, and design standards for multi-family projects.
This project began when neighborhood groups expressed concerns about whether recent new development is compatible with adjacent residential neighborhoods. Based on these concerns, staff surveyed 14 cities to document the tools used in their zoning codes to guide the form of commercial and multi-family development adjacent to residential areas.
Staff, after taking into consideration issues unique to Tallahassee, presented the draft ordinance to neighborhood stakeholders. A total of 13 meetings were held with various neighborhood groups, including the Alliance of Tallahassee Neighborhoods, the Council of Neighborhood Associations, the Capital Area Neighborhood Network, the Frenchtown Citizen Advisory Council, and a group of leaders from Southside neighborhoods.
Staff also held 6 meetings with business stakeholders, including the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, the Big Bend Minority Chamber of Commerce, the Capital City Chamber of Commerce, the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and the local chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.
At the conclusion of the neighborhood outreach, the draft ordinance included 35 development standards. At the conclusion of the subsequent business outreach, the draft ordinance had 34 new development standards. Consensus was reached among all community stakeholders on 97% of the content of the ordinance.
The single standard that did not have consensus is a requirement for a multi-family developer to meet with neighbors prior to filing a site plan application. Neighborhood stakeholders supported the requirement to facilitate early communication, but business stakeholders did not support it due to the increased time and cost that would be added to the permitting process. Given that there was no agreement on this issue, the proposed ordinance does not include the requirement for a neighborhood meeting for multifamily projects.
The Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Commission determined the proposed ordinance is consistent with the provisions of the Comprehensive Plan at its April 6, 2021 meeting.
The comparison of the proposed revisions are shown below.
City Moves Forward with “Neighborhood Compatibility Ordinance” added by Steve Stewart on
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Ed,
This is a curious stance from you.
Isn’t taxation theft? The necessary implication is that government has no legitimate function. I’m not going to break down the elements of theft for you.
So then, how do you square the circle that you are in favor of the government dictating to private property owners what they may do with their land? I know the answer but you’ll never admit it.
Hypocrite.
“The ordinance proposes 34 new Zoning Code development standards designed to make new development more compatible with adjoining residential neighborhoods. ”
Hell man, the CITY doesn’t even do this so why should the Builders?
@ Pam… and honorable sentiment to be certain, and I agree that government can play a role in providing reasonable policies and wisely allocating our tax dollars in and effort to provide the foundation and environment that promotes and affords the opportunity for a decent “quality of life”… that said; the term “quality of life” is a subjective term – and unfortunately – most often used by politicians seeking to sell and idea or forward an agenda. Most have very little concern for anyone’s quality of life, except of course their own.
Nevertheless, ones’ quality of life is solely and completely in their hands. Indeed others can lay the tools before them… but it is up to the individual to pick those tools up and put them to good use in their own goal of providing themselves with whatever level of quality of life they seek.
However, I do agree 100% with your final statement, with one small caveat… “to all those responsible for the success of an idea… don’t screw it up”
🙂
We have an opportunity not afforded to very many locations in the world. We have plenty of raw land and can unlike other places that let only the money do the talking, design a quality of life for all our citizens to enjoy. This is a start but needs more work. It doesn’t matter who you talk to – any race, nationality, background – we are all looking for a good environment and home. We are at a critical juncture – don’t screw it up Tallahassee!
I’m surprised to see these folks working on something rational. I wonder if they’ll require the painting of intersections with Marxist propaganda to be listed as a Compatibility Standard.
The fly in the ointment will be the argument over and manipulation of the term “contiguity”.
“……..6 meetings with business stakeholders, including the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, the Big Bend Minority Chamber of Commerce, the Capital City Chamber of Commerce, ………..”
Why is there a “Minority Chamber of Commerce”? Are Blacks not allowed to be in the “Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce” or the “Capital City Chamber of Commerce”? If they ARE, and I’m sure they are, then, wouldn’t the “Minority Chamber of Commerce” be considered Racist?
Please make this retroactive back to the Boulos Corporation development on Apalachee Parkway where the landscaping is horrendous and the back of the houses are exposed on the right of way with no wall or landscaping. How this one got approved I cannot understand.