Pictured are the new boundaries of the city’s historical preservation district shown at Monday’s Marysville City Council meeting. The new lines cut off East Fifth Street from Vine to Cherry streets, odd land on the northern side of Mill Creek and add land in the area of Maple and Seventh streets.
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Marysville City Council held the second reading, and heard some public comments, for an application to alter the zoning and boundaries of the Uptown Preservation District at Monday’s council meeting.
City Planner Chad Flowers spoke to council about the changes.
The new zones were spurred by an increase in commercial development on East Fifth Street toward the Five-Points intersection. Some residents felt that much of that development, such as the new O’Reilly Auto Parts store, didn’t keep in step with the area’s “small town” feel.
The city decided to put a moratorium on new commercial development in that area, and came up with the new zoning districts. Those districts are Uptown Single Family Residential, Uptown Multi-Family Residential, Uptown Commercial and Uptown Transitional.
The application would also alter the city’s Historical Preservation District, taking out the area on East Fifth Street from Vine to Cherry Street and adding the area directly north of Mill Creek on Main Street.
Councilperson Mark Reams asked Flowers why the area around and occupied by the Crazy Scotty’s building was included in the expanded preservation district. Flowers said it keeps with the Uptown Revitalization Plan the city paid for last year. Having that land in the preservation district gives it more opportunities for development.
Councilperson Nevin Taylor asked if the area’s inclusion in the district would help do away with the lot full of derelict cars behind Crazy Scotty’s. He said his concern stems from the possibility that those properties would have their current permitting grandfathered in, making changes to them more difficult.
“I guess my concern is, if we’re going to make it historical, let’s clean it up too,” he said.
Flowers said the new zoning would allow any current property to continue its current use. However, if a property lays vacant for more than two years, it reverts to the new code.
During citizens’ comments, Meg Michel asked council to consider allowing first-floor residential, since not allowing that would bar any residents with special needs from moving into the Uptown Commercial area.
Michel asked Flowers if residents would need to put in a formal application if they wanted to paint small parts of their homes.
Flowers said only commercial properties have to get certificates of appropriateness.
Tony Eufinger spoke to council with concerns that Uptown Transitional would lock him out from using his current law office as a two-unit residence in the future. Under the new code, he would need to seek out a conditional use permit.
“I’m uncomfortable with that change,” he said. “I would like to have additional options for my building.”
Chad said the changes keep in line with certain aspects of the city’s current residential zoning, which already requires a conditional use permit for two-unit residences.
The legislation will return for its third and final reading at the next council meeting on Dec. 18.