Impact
WARD: Citywide
COMMITTEE: Community Development
$ IMPACT: N/A
Title
Public Hearing - Approval of code amendments to include landscape contractors to the list of permitted uses under the General Commerical and Light Industrial zoning districts - City of Smyrna
Body
ISSUE: The City's Zoning Ordinance does not currently define contractor or landscape contractor. Therefore, landscape contractors are lumped together with general trade contractors and are required to follow certain outdoor storage requirements. The GC zoning district currently allows contractor offices provided there is no outside storage of equipment, materials and commercial vehicles. In addition, contractor offices are allowed in the Light Industrial (LI) zoning district with no restrictions on outside storage. These requirements currently allow for just the operation of office uses in the GC zoning district for trade contractors.
Landscape contractors have argued their use is no more intensive then green houses, nurseries and building material establishments, which are currently permitted within the GC zoning district and allow the outside storage of supplies and display of merchandise. Many of the landscape contractors have urged staff to review this issue to see if there is any way to allow outside storage under the GC zoning district.
BACKGROUND: None.
RECOMMENDATION/REQUESTED ACTION: Community Development recommends approval of the following code amendments to Sections 402, 712 and 714 of the City's Zoning Ordinance:
ARTICLE IV. - DEFINITIONS
The addition of a definition for landscape contractors to Section 402 of the Zoning Ordinance.
(402.33.1) Landscape Contractor: A business principally engaged in the decorative and functional alteration, planting and maintenance of grounds, including the installation of hardscape such as stonework, patios, decks, arbors and other decorative elements of the landscape. Such a business may engage in the installation and con...
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