Title 18 - Unified Development Ordinance

18.140.065 Neighborhood Meetings

1. A.
   Intent: It is the City’s position that the land development process is enhanced when there is open dialogue between interested parties that gives neighbors an opportunity to learn about a proposal and ask questions in advance of public hearings before the Planning Commission and decisions by the Governing Body. Therefore, the City recommends neighborhood outreach for all applications.
2. B.
   Required Neighborhood Meetings:

   1. 1.
      An applicant is required to hold a neighborhood meeting for rezonings, special use permits and revised preliminary plans with substantial changes for the following application types where the application area is within 500 feet of property zoned and used as single-family residential or other residential housing that is designed for individual ownership and when any of the following criteria are met:

      1. a.
         Rezoning requests from low-density residential districts to a less restrictive district as identified in Section 18.150.010 of the UDO;
      2. b.
         Any zoning request larger than 10 acres in size to a multi-family or less restrictive district as identified in Section 18.150.010 of the UDO;
      3. c.
         Any revised preliminary development plan with substantial changes as outlined by 18.140.200.A.3 of the UDO on property zoned multi-family or a less restrictive district as identified in 18.150.010; or
      4. d.
         Special use permits for new construction.
   2. 2.
      The Director of Planning and Development Services shall have the authority to take into consideration the context and specific nature of any request and may:

      1. a.
         Waive the requirement for a neighborhood meeting;
      2. b.
          Extend the distance requirement for sending meeting notifications for a neighborhood meeting; or
      3. c.
         Require a neighborhood meeting for an application that does not meet the criteria set forth in subsection 1 above.
   3. 3.
      Notwithstanding that a neighborhood meeting was held or was not required under subsection 1 or 2 above, either the Planning Commission or the Governing Body may require a neighborhood meeting prior to taking action on an application.
3. C.
   Neighborhood Meeting Specifics:

   1. 1.
      Required neighborhood meetings shall be held no less than 10 days prior to the scheduled Planning Commission meeting.
   2. 2.
      A good faith effort should be made to hold the meeting on a day and time that allow the majority of interested parties to attend and at a location convenient to the neighborhood.
   3. 3.
      Neighborhood meetings may consist of a formal presentation or may be conducted in an open house style. The format of the meeting should ensure that those in attendance have an opportunity to learn about the proposal and ask questions of the development team.
   4. 4.
      Attendance should be taken and a written meeting summary provided to the City’s planning staff no less than 7 days in advance of the Planning Commission meeting.
4. D.
   Neighborhood Meeting Notification:

   1. 1.
      Notification of a neighborhood meeting shall be provided no less than 10 days in advance of the scheduled meeting and shall be sent to all residential property owners of record and any registered homeowner associations or neighborhood groups within 500 feet of the application (or distance required by the Director). A copy shall also be provided to the City’s planning staff and to the ward council members where the application is located.
   2. 2.
      The notification may be sent by regular mail. The notification shall provide: (i) the time, date and location of the meeting; (ii) the City-assigned plan number; (iii) the location and general description of the proposal; and (iv) contact information for the applicant or their agent. It is recommended that the notification also include a copy of the applicant’s proposal. Failure of a property owner to receive the notification will not invalidate the applicant’s notification for their scheduled meeting.
   3. 3.
      This neighborhood meeting notification shall not be sent in the same envelope as the certified notification to surrounding property owners required by Section 18.140.080.
   4. 4.
      Prior to the Planning Commission meeting, the applicant shall file with the Secretary of the Planning Commission an affidavit stating the names and addresses of the persons to whom notice was sent; failure to submit the affidavit prior to the hearing may result in a continuance of the hearing.

(History: Ord. ZRR-3263 §1, 2019)

Effective on: 1/1/1901