Totally lost in the hubbub of the annexation approval this past Monday night, the City Commission approved the rezoning of the residential lot at 712 West College Avenue to commercial to accommodate a planned grocery run by the Candler Park Market.

With the Zoning Ordinance Task Force’s changes to the city’s zoning ordinances approved by the City Commission in early December, the developers of the Market no longer need five exceptions,  which was the main point of contention when this plan was voted on by the Planning Commission last month. The only variance approved on Monday was an additional curb cut along College Avenue.  The new plan will have 10 more spaces than is necessary under the new parking ordinance (29 instead of 19).  The building will be 5,900 square feet, the same exact size as the existing Candler Park Market in, well, Candler Park, and the building is now sited along College Ave with parking at the rear (see above).

ZOUTF hungry!  ZOUTF want foood!!

Task #3 for Decatur’s Zoning Ordinance Update Task Force is a two-parter – as they say in casual circles of folks who discuss zoning codes.

First off, community gardens.

Though “the city has a long-standing policy of allowing community gardens”, as evidenced by the many that have sprouted up (or “taken root”) around our neighborhood, Decatur doesn’t currently define community gardens “nor list them as an allowable use in any zoning district”.  That means orgs like The Wylde Center (formerly known as the Oakhurst Community Garden) is technically not allowed in Decatur.

Thus, ZOUTF – in response to Decatur Strategic Plan Task 12C, is recommending adding a definition for “community garden” to the ordinance and allowing them in all districts, as well as adding a definition for “Market Garden” to allow them in industrial, mixed use and commercial districts.

Then there are the animals.

Though not listed as a task in the Strategic Plan, ZOUTF wants to “collect input from residents on the issue of animals used for food production in R60 & R85 zoning districts.”

Currently, if you want to raise livestock on your Decatur property, you’ll need to consolidate more than a minimum of 2 acres of land, with 5,000 sq ft for each animal.  That’s livin’! Small animals, such as rabbits, guinea pigs and fowl can be kept as long as certain conditions are met.  Pigs and hogs currently as illegal as smoking in Atlanta parks. (No word on bison.)

So ZOUTF asks you these questions three…

1. “Should we modify the existing regulations to encourage ownership of animals used for food production?”
2. ‘Which animals would you like to see allowed on R60 and R85 properties?”
3. “Under what conditions would you support modifying the existing regulations?”

ZOUTF wants your feedback!

Decatur is always hosting at least a handful of Task Forces taking on various local issues, but perhaps none is currently more influential than the 11-member Zoning Ordinance Update Task Force, comprised of members from all of Decatur’s commissions (sans the city commission) and boards, along with business, condo, adjacent-R60 reps and two Strat Plan roundtable participants.

Separately they are just mere Decatur residents. Together they are ZOUTF! (It’s pronounced “zoo-tuff”…in my head)

As we’ve no doubt discussed previously, ZOUTF has a large and multifaceted task to undertake, given to them by Decatur’s City Commission (aka the Black Lion, to take the Voltron reference too far). They are charged with updating all portions of the city’s zoning ordinances tagged for revision/inspection during the 2010 Strategic Planning process.

This brings us to the present day. ZOUTF has asked city residents for feedback on six ordinance changes they are currently considering. Each is nothing like the others, so presenting them all at once would just water them down. So we will discuss them one at a time.

First up…expanding Decatur’s “Pedestrian Zone”.

What’s Decatur’s “Pedestrian Zone”?

Read the rest of this entry »