City Council Land Use Committee Meeting - Dec 7, 2025
City Council Land Use Committee Meeting - Dec 7, 2025
The City Council Land Use Committee convened via remote participation on December 7, 2025, to finalize agenda items before the year's end. The meeting included routine approvals of previous minutes, a vote on a zoning map amendment, and a discussion regarding the disposition of an ongoing land use project as Councilor Wilson exits the council.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of minutes and administrative items: Counselor Davis moved to approve agenda items one, two, and three. A roll call confirmed the approval was unanimous (4-0).
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public testimony was recorded: No members of the public were recorded giving testimony during this session.
Discussion Items
- Zoning Map Amendment (363 Highland Av): A request was presented to change the zoning district of 363 Highland Avenue from Midrise 4 to Midrise 5 and Midrise 6. Councilor Davis was recused from this vote. Liaison Rodassi stated that the Planning Board (PPZ) supports the amendment but has not yet issued a formal recommendation. Councilor Wilson and Councilor Said both expressed support but noted the procedural need for a Planning Board recommendation before a full council vote. However, citing the site's potential and lack of opposition, Councilor Said moved to approve the amendment, and the committee voted to recommend approval.
- Disposition of Ongoing Land Use Project: The committee discussed a major land use project initiated earlier in the term. Councilor Wilson thanked the chair and the Land Use Analyst, expressing high confidence in the project's future direction despite his upcoming departure. Councilor Davis expressed concern that marking the item "work complete" might cause it to be overlooked during the administrative transition when no list of items to resubmit currently exists. After brief debate regarding the procedural implications of marking the item complete versus allowing it to expire, Councilor Davis agreed to mark the work complete while noting her intent to actively resubmit the item in the future.
Key Outcomes
- Zoning Amendment Approval: The committee voted 3-0 to recommend approval for the zoning map amendment changing the status of 363 Highland Avenue from MR4/MR5 to MR6.
- Adjournment: Councilor Said moved to adjourn, and Councilor Davis confirmed on the final vote.
- Item Disposition: The ongoing land use project was marked as "work complete," with the understanding that it requires active resubmission by council members in the next term to remain active.
Meeting Transcript
All right, and now to clear this land use committee meeting in order, please note that pursuant to app chapter two, sorry. Chapter two of the acts of 2025. This meeting of the city council committee will be conducted via remote participation. We'll post an audio recording, audio video recording, transcript, or other comprehensive record of these proceedings as soon as possible after the meeting on the City of Sumbleville website and local cable access government channels. Clerk, please call the roll. This is a roll call, Counselor Davis. Here. Counselor Saeed. Here. Counselor Wilson. Present. Counselor Ewan Campen. Councilor McGofflin. Yeah. Four counselors present, one absent we have quorum. All right. We just have a few house cleaning items uh that we could have taken care of last meeting. I apologize for uh coming here now. I'd like to move to approve items one, two, and three, which are the minutes and two items that we had uh presented by the city. Does anyone have any discussion or objection? Clerk, please call the roll. Approval of agenda items one, two, and three, counselor Davis. Yes. Counselor Saeed? Yes. Counselor Wilson? Yes. Councilor McGofflin. Yes. Those items are approved. All right, please read the next item. The next item is agenda item four. 12 registered voters requesting a zoning map amendment to change the zoning district of 363 Highland Av from midrise four to mid-rise five, and from mid-rise four to midrise six and one ten will have from MR4 to MR6. Ms. Chair, I'm doing this. Yes, Council Davis is recused. Yes. So do we still have a quorum? We have three here. Um I believe when we last discussed this, we had a conversation and most people seem supportive. Uh did not hear a motion at the time because we still have the land the planning board recommendation, which should be before us by the next meeting. Does anyone have any thoughts on this item? I see council Wilson. Mr. Chair, thank you. Um I'm supportive of this. I have not heard from anyone in the public who's not supportive of this. It seems very much in line with everything we always talk about in terms of of well, land use. Um yeah, I'd eager to hear the planning board's uh thoughts on this. I guess we could always discharge without a recommendation, or we could vote on it.
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