Tonight, the Decatur Planning Commission will hear two zoning amendment proposals by the city that address many of the issues that have surrounded our development controversies for many years.

The first proposed amendment would create a new “Mixed Use” Zoning District that’s purpose is

“…to promote the redevelopment of existing single uses in the commercial areas into vibrant and sustainable mixed-use communities combining residential, retail and office uses; to promote diversity in housing and commercial options; to create walkable, pedestrian-scaled environments that accommodate and encourage multiple modes of transportation; to provide opportunities to add a variety of open space amenities; to provide a framework for shared infrastructure; and to improve the quality of life by providing live, work, and play opportunities based on regulating master site plans developed for a specific area.”

The amendment, in all its 10-page glory can be found here.

Its an all-encompassing amendment so its difficult to summarize without leaving something out, but essentially this new district puts into zoning law all the mixed-use efforts the city has urged – but never been able to require – until now.  To be clear, this amendment doesn’t create a specific district…though it can easily be assumed that it would be applied downtown in the near future.  UPDATE: I was wrong about a lot of this.  See Amanda’s comment after the jump.

The second amendment on the docket for tonight has to do with interim C-2/R-60 & R-85 transitional buffer requirements, shared parking and additional DDA review for residential development in commercial districts.

Under this proposed amendment, the transitional buffer between adjacent commercial and residential properties would be increased from 10 feet to 30 feet of yard and the height-limiting plane angle of the structure would be decreased from 60 to 45 degrees.

Additionally, this amendment gives the city commission the authority to approve shared parking and require all multi-use dwellings and townhouses to be reviewed by the Downtown Development Authority.

Its a lot to digest all at once, but I’m glad to see the city making good on its long-time promise to do something about the reoccurring C-2/R-60 issue.