The remapping will consolidate 25 types of zoning districts down to 14. Since doing that means rezoning a lot of property (though about 70% of properties will retain the same designation), the city sent every owner a letter about the process, and they’re holding open house meetings to answer questions — one in each city council zone, plus a citywide meeting.
Zone 1 was first up, although any property owner can drop by any meeting. City employees told KSMU that the majority of people coming in were single family (SF) homeowners whose districts were shifting to ‘Residential Mixed-Use – Low Density' (RMX1) which allows townhomes, duplexes and other ‘missing middle’ housing.
Principal city planner Alana Owen explained that the shift from SF to RMX1 comprises the majority of rezonings across the city. The areas where that shift is happening were determined in neighborhood meetings (nine in total) between P&Z and central city communities.
"Everybody has been very receptive to any changes that are proposed," Owen said of Tuesday's meeting. "I have personally talked to several people [whose] property is being proposed to RMX1, and they just have questions about what that means."
The city will hold four more meetings over the next few weeks. The schedule is as follows:
- Zone 2 meeting: Oct. 30 at Pittman Elementary School, 2934 E. Bennett.
- Zone 3 meeting: Nov. 10 at Chesterfield Family Center, 2511 W. Republic Road (originally scheduled at the Library Center).
- Zone 4 meeting: Nov. 5 at Kickapoo High School, 3710 S. Jefferson.
- Citywide meeting: Nov. 13 at the Elections Center, 1126 N. Boonville Ave.
An interactive map showing new zoning districts and explaining them in more depth is available here.
The citywide remapping has been in the works since March, when city council passed comprehensive updates to the land development code. Council is expected to approve the remapping