P & Z: Understanding the Process

By Dave Freneaux

One of my favorite sayings is; "there are only two kinds of people in the world….those who try to say yes, and those who try to say no." As I have studied much of the controversy over the past months, it seems to me that even the most heated arguments over seemingly irreconcilable issues are being had by people who, at the very core of the issues, are really all wanting pretty much the same thing. At heart, the people of Central are by and large hard-working, faith-filled, honorable, loyal and friendly people who care more about family and friends than anything else. Don't get caught up in trying to disprove my view by pointing out the exceptions, as that is why we call them exceptions. I am simply hopeful that everyone in the process can spend the majority of their efforts "trying to say yes" to productive mutual understanding, becoming educated in the process, and finding ways to work through difiicult issues with mutual respect.
I hooked you into reading this by telling you this article was about Planning and Zoning, and it is. Just as our elected and appointed officials are relatively new to leading in government, so we are new in following and participating in the process. I hope here to first confess to you that I was not fully aware of the Planning & Zoning (P&Z) process, then to tell you that it would be a safe bet that 90% of Central does not understand it any better than I did. I believe that the next few paragraphs may set all of us on a better path toward a more civilized and fruitful approach to the issues of P&Z.
"P&Z In Everyday English"
PUD – planned unit development – a bunch of buildings to live in, work in or shop in. SPUD – SMALL planned unit development – a tiny PUD – (less than 20 acres). PUDs come before P&Z two times, once to approve the Concept Plan, (before the developer spends serious dollars), then again after traffic and drainage studies are done to approve the Final Development Plan. It is reasonably expected that a developer who is told YES on the Concept Plan will be told YES again if the developer has done what was proposed and taken the advice of the P&Z as to any changes needed in the Concept. At that second P&Z appearance the committee makes reccomendation to the Council that the PUD be zoned as requested or that zoning be modified or denied. City Council ALWAYS has the final say on all zoning changes. A SPUD is done the same way, except that both P&Z appearances are rolled into one meeting.
Master Plan – a general agreement as to where everything should be built in Central. The Master Plan is a RESOURCE, not a law. The Master Plan does not dictate zoning. The zoning on all property in Central was there before the City was created. That zoning stays in effect until it is changed through this P&Z and City Council process. Recent history has shown a STRONG tendency to follow the Master Plan in making zoning decisions.
CAB-1 – A restaurant that can also serve alcohol. CAB-2 – a bar that can also serve food. These zoning requests, because they involve alcohol, can only be made once the actual building is far enough through construction that the floorplan can be detailed in drawings and the boundaries of the facility are known. A developer can go to P&Z with a Concept Plan including a CAB-1 or CAB-2 zoning, then pay for traffic and drainage studies and come back for approval of the Final Development Plan and request Commercial Zoning, yet still not be zoned CAB-1 or CAB-2. Until the specifics of the building are known, the CAB-1 or 2 cannot be applied for.
So now you know as little as I do, and I apologize if I have made any errors in writing this. I will have my staff check it for errors…OK, I don't see any errors. I will not pretend that this one article will solve any of the differences I witnessed at the last P&Z meeting, but it can't hurt for people to understand the basics of what they are arguing. I am, however, going to pretend that my earlier ramblings about looking for the best in people and finding ways to say yes, or at least to compromise, will encourage at least SOME people to find a way to solve at least SOME of their differences and recognize that we really all just want the best for Central.