Long list of Findlay zoning changes on agenda

FINDLAY — Findlay City Council's Planning and Zoning Committee meets today with a packed agenda, including continued discussions about parking standards, farm animals, construction rules and zoning permit fees. New to the agenda are the sale of the old North Main Street Fire Station, located at 410 N. Main Street, a maintenance code update, rules for wooded lots, and a zoning amendment request. The meeting, originally scheduled for August 14, was delayed until today. The committee will meet at 2:30 p.m. today at the Findlay Municipal Building, 318 Dorney Plaza. All committee meetings are open to the public and are livestreamed on the city's YouTube channel: Findlay Ohio. Committee members include Dennis Hellmann, R-2, Dan DeArment, R-4, Jim Niemeyer, R-6, and Grant Russel, R-at-large, with Brian Bauman, R-5, chairman. Today's agenda includes the following: Parking standards Committee discussions on parking standards have focused on the city's requirements for multi-family housing. The city currently requires two parking spaces per apartment unit. The committee is considering recommendations being drafted by the Hancock Regional Planning Commission that would base the requirements on the number of bedrooms per unit: one parking spot for a one-bedroom unit, two spots for two or more bedrooms. At the July 10 committee meeting, Commission Director Matt Cordonnier said the revised standard is more reasonable. He said it will eliminate the need for excess parking, removing a barrier for developers. Farm animals It has been over two years since city officials abandoned attempts to develop rules for keeping farm animals within Findlay's limits due to a public backlash. Committee members are discussing the following recommendation from regional planning: • Small animals — chickens, ducks and rabbits would be limited to one animal for every 800 square feet of land, with a maximum of 24 animals. Roosters, geese and turkeys would be prohibited on lots smaller than one acre. • Mid-size animals — goats and sheep would require a minimum lot size of 2400 square feet, with up to 10 animals depending on the lot size. • Large animals — horses, cows and pigs would require a minimum lot size of 4400 square feet, with up to six animals allowed. Shelters would be required to be placed behind the home and at least five feet from the property line. Barns and stables would be required to meet the city's setback requirements. Slaughtering of small animals for personal consumption would be allowed, as long as it is kept from public view. There's no language restricting the sale of eggs. Waste would be required to be stored in a sealed container at least 50 feet from the property line, and 100 feet from wells and streams. Nuisance odors and runoff would be prohibited. Cordonnier has said the new proposal would grandfather animals already kept in the city. Owners would need to register their animals with the city within 90 days of the effective date of the new zoning requirements. Once grandfathered, the property would maintain the grandfathered right to keep the animals, in the number first registered (if higher than the maximum allowed), in perpetuity. The grandfather clause would remain intact, even if the property is sold. New owners would have 12 months to restock, or the right would be lost. Cordonnier said the grandfathering is an important part of the legislation for the sake of animal owners. Permitting would give city officials the right to inspect the property for compliance, including ensuring animal numbers are not beyond what is allowed by the zoning code or established in the grandfather clause. Construction rules Building permits could soon come with time limits aimed at reducing the number of unfinished construction projects throughout the city of Findlay. The proposed rules would set a 12-month time limit for single-family/duplex building permits and 18 to 24 months for multifamily, commercial, or industrial building permits. Minor, non-structural alterations would be required to be completed within six months of the building permit being issued. The rules will allow for extensions based on "reasonable cause." Violations subject to enforcement would occur after 90 days of the project remaining idle. Zoning permit fees In a letter to council, dated July 2, Service-Safety Director Rob Martin said a fee increase is needed to offset the cost of operating the zoning department. He said city zoning fees were last updated in 2016 and 2009. Martin said a recent market comparison study of peer communities and other regional municipalities showed the city's rates are significantly lower than the market average. Findlay charges fees for new construction and additions permits, flood permits and permits for improvements like fences and decks. Permits are also required for signs. There are also permit fees for development, zoning amendments, site planning, appeals, design reviews, zoning verification, alley or street vacation, annexation petitions and rezoning petitions. Details about the proposed increase have not been made public. North Main Street Fire Station The city of Findlay is seeking a rezoning of the old Northside Fire Station, 401 N. Main Street, in anticipation of selling the property. Mayor Christina Muryn has said the city plans to divest the property in the coming year because it is no longer being used. Both the fire station and its parking lot on Cherry Street are currently zoned "C-2 General Commercial." Muryn said the C2 zoning limits the use of the site due to parking requirements, which are based on square footage. The standard would require the large building to have an excessive amount of parking. The city is working through the process to have the site rezone as "C-3 Downtown Commercial," which has no parking requirement. The firehouse was built during Findlay's natural gas and oil boom in the late 1880s, a period of rapid population growth and development. It was an essential part of the city's expanding infrastructure. Discussions about a maintenance code, wooded lots and the zoning amendment request are new.