Proposed “Pilot Residential Districts” show in light blue
Six areas of the City of Jamestown would be designated “Pilot Residential Districts” under a proposal that changes zoning to allow for infill housing.
Jamestown City Council learned more about the proposal at their work session Monday night.
Director of Development Crystal Surdyk said the areas primarily fall under Residential-2 zoned districts. She said this proposal builds on the work of the last few years to strategically acquire properties, “We now have several of them already lined up and funded for their demolitions as needed. And we have applied for funding for site development and new infrastructure.. water, sewer, the works. So, we’re talking about complete neighborhood revitalization projects and infill will be the final piece to that.”
Surdyk said the Jamestown Department of Development is seeking interim zoning changes to create “Pilot Residential Districts” so infill housing developments can be more easily permitted while the City works toward making zoning updates related to the Comprehensive Plan update.
She said the completion of the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code update is still possibly two years away, “We’re at a place now where we’re ready to go. We’ve done a lot of legwork and our existing zoning is antiquated and it restricts us a great deal and so we want to be able to move a little quicker and, again, with intention. Every single project will still go through Planning Commission review and get a site plan approval. We’re not bypassing the complete oversight of any of these. That is not the intent.”
The proposed areas for the pilot districts include North Main Street from 21st Street down to 8th Street; Spring Street from Crossman Street to just before 6th Street; Strong Street and Fulton Avenue down to 5h Street; a segment of Chandler Street including Elk, Franklin, and Cross Streets; Tower and Barrows Streets between Willard and Pullman Streets; and all of Johnson Street.
While the resolution was tabled in the Public Safety Committee, Committee Chair Jeff Russell as well as Housing Committee Chair Bill Reynolds both expressed satisfaction with the information Surdyk shared at the full work session.
Both the pilot program for residential infill development as well as a proposal to change the zoning for the area south of Jackson-Taylor Park from residential-2 to commercial-1 came before the Jamestown Planning Commission on Tuesday, with the Commission approving both measures.
Councilmember Reynolds requested that feedback from Planning Commission members on the proposed zoning changes be included with the voting packet for City Council members ahead of the August 25 voting session.
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