2010/06/09 Council Agenda Packet

• PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION NO. 10-05 A Resolution Recommending that the City Council Amend the Zoning Code to add a new section to the B-3 Zone (Central Buainess District) to allow consideration of unlisted uses in basements and other spaces in order to allow greater flexibility for re-use of existing buildings. • • WHEREAS, the City of Everett Zoning Code contains regulations for the B-3 Zone (Central Business District); and WHEREAS, it is necessary from time to time to update zoning regulations to provide clarification or create additional standards related to specific uses; and WHEREAS, the existing B-3 zone specifies the uses that are permitted in downtown, consistent with the Downtown Plan adopted in 2006; and WHEREAS, when the City adopted the Downtown Plan in 2006, it concurrently adopted new development regulations for the B-3 zone and expanded the limits of the B-3 zone by rezoning several blocks from other commercial zoning classifications to B-3; and WHEREAS, there are many older buildings in downtown that contain spaces in basements or other portions of buildings that do not lend themselves to some of the permitted uses specifically listed in the B-3 zone; and WHEREAS, adding a review process to the B-3 zone to provide for consideration of uses not specifically listed in the zoning code through a site-specific public review process using evaluation criteria to ensure that the proposed use will not have unreasonable impacts on the surrounding properties or the Central Business District as a whole will provide the opportunity for existing underutilized building space to be put into productive use; and WHEREAS, the proposed amendment to the Zoning Code will provide for increased economic activity, investment and improvement to buildings in the downtown; and 11