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1 <<> BACKGROUND <br />�,� As City Council Members are aware, the updated Zoning Ordinance went into <br />� u effect on December 21, 2010, and since that date the Planning Division has been <br />�i a monitoring the many different nuances of this broad document. <br />2� One such area that we have been keeping our eye on is the Office/Business Park <br />2�� District. Here the Planning Division has been faced with a number of buildings <br />2� where pre-existing non-conforming uses are present. This situation, although <br />2_� permitted to continue, has made reuse somewhat difficult when the Code does not <br />2�, support what has historically been prevalent in the area and property owners are <br />2� not motivated or willing to invest in improving buildings and/or sites when a use <br />2�� has been deemed, by the Planning Division, to be non-conforming. <br />2� One specific area where the Planning Division has challenges is along Oakcrest <br />2� Avenue generally from Fairview Avenue to Cleveland Avenue. This area, prior <br />23 to the comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance updates, was predominantly a <br />3�� light industrial area that includes a mix of small scale manufacturing, processing, <br />�°: production and distribution uses. The prior comprehensive plan guided the area <br />32 Business and all parcels/lots were zoned Light Industrial District. <br />�� Although pre-existing non-conforming uses can present challenges, the greater <br />`�s� issue faced has been the distribution of goods and to what extent such a use is <br />s:> allowed. The Zoning Ordinance allows Limited Production and Processing as a <br />3v permitted use within the Office/Business Park and Industrial Districts, but the <br />s r definition is silent on distribution, which is a critical ancillary use to most all <br />s�; processing, production, and manufacturing businesses. Below is the current <br />��=� definition of Limited Production/Processing: <br />�!o a. Limited production/processing: Light manufacturing, fabrication, <br />�t� assembly, processing, packaging, research, development, or similar uses <br />n� which are predominately conducted indoors and which would not be <br />�� disruptive of, or incompatible with, other office, retail, or service uses that <br />�� may be in the same building or complex. Limited production/processing <br />45 generally does not include industrial processing from raw materials. <br />n� The Zoning Ordinance also has Warehousing and Distribution, but this use is only <br />��� permitted in the Industrial District and not permitted Office/Business Park, which <br />4,� stems largely from the definition of Warehouse, which includes a larger and more <br />4� impactful trucking or distribution component (as staff interprets the definition). <br />5�� a. Warehouse: An establishment providing storage and distribution of <br />51 merchandise and bulk goods, typically involving heavy trucic and/or <br />�2 freight rail traffic. <br />53 To gain a better perspective of what is occurring in Oakcrest Avenue area, the <br />5�. Planning Division visited different sites multiple times to review and obtain <br />�^ information. This area consists of eight multi-tenant office/warehouse buildings, <br />�� all with dock doors; the newest building, 1975 Oakcrest, was constructed in 2006. <br />5� These "inspections" revealed that a number of uses within these structures <br />5� include varying production, processing, manufacturing and warehousing, all with <br />�� some form of distribution. <br />Amdt7 RCA_102212 (2) <br />Page 2 of 5 <br />