close

Council, CRA meetings set for next week

3 min read

At a City Council meeting in July, staff was directed to amend an ordinance to add veterinary and animal clinics as permitted uses under the Village zoning district classification. When council resumes its weekly meeting schedule at 4:30 p.m. on Monday at City Hall, that ordinance will get its second and final public hearing.

Assuming the amendment is approved Monday night, the Village district now will have 71 permitted uses, which already include pet services and pet shops among the uses, plus eight special exception uses. Both staff and Planning & Zoning Commission recommend approval. No vote was taken and no objection was expressed at the first public hearing on Sept. 7, with the formal vote coming Monday.

Council will hear arguments on two land use ordinance amendments on Monday, one seeking a change from Parks & Recreation to Public Facilities designation for a 4.3-acre undeveloped parcel north of Sun Splash Waterpark and south of the Austen Youth Center. The land use change would allow for government uses or quasi-governmental uses other than a park. No specific development applications have been filed. Staff and P&Z recommend approval.

The other land use amendment requests changing a parcel located between Chiquita Boulevard and Souhwest?17th Avenue near Storms Football Complex from Commercial/Professional to Single-Family Residential. The nearly 8 acres of land is a mix of single-family homes and about 50 percent undeveloped parcels. None of the parcels have been rezoned or developed as commercial projects. Approval would allow construction, expansion and repair of the single-family homes.

Council awarded a contract in 2015 to Becker & Poliakoff for professional lobbying services at the state level. Since a competitive bid process has not been done in some time, staff initiated a Request for Proposal and received bids from five firms. City Manager John Szerlag is requesting council’s recommendation to award a one-year contract with the possibility of up to four annual renewals to either Becker & Poliakoff or Peebles & Smith, the top two ranked firms.

On Tuesday, council members will change into their Community Redevelopment Agency hats for their monthly meeting at 4 p.m. at the Chester Street Resource Center.

Commissioners will be presented with a project update on the Southeast 47th Terrace streetscape project and the discontinuation of the streetscape incentive and loan program that received no inquiries from established businesses in the CRA district in more than two years.

The board also will discuss a South Cape banner program, holiday decorations and amending the language in the current project assistance agreement with Starbucks.