Economic Development Committee Rezone Amendments Meeting - October 9, 2025
Economic Development Committee Meeting - Rezone Amendments Discussion
The Economic Development Committee met on October 9, 2025, from approximately 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM to discuss proposed amendments to the city's zoning code (rezone). The meeting was chaired by Councillor Paniagua and included Councillor Nave, Councillor Caldwell, Councillor Jones-Rouser, Commissioner Michael Collins, and staff member Jake (likely a planner). The primary focus was on technical corrections and policy adjustments to the code adopted two and a half years prior, with a real-world example of a two-story minimum requirement hindering a proposed redevelopment on Erie Boulevard.
Discussion Items
- Two-Story Minimum on Erie Boulevard: The current code requires any new development or substantial renovation on Erie Boulevard to be at least two stories. An applicant (Biggie Tires) wants to redevelop an existing single-story building but is blocked by this provision. The proposed amendment would exempt existing single-story buildings from the two-story minimum, allowing renovations without adding a story. This change is intended to prevent disinvestment and was initially limited to Erie Boulevard, but future amendment cycles may expand it to all MX2 districts. The commissioner explained that the two-story vision was ideal but impractical for all property owners.
- Clarifications and Restructuring: Many amendments are technical: restructuring language, adding definitions, and clarifying measurement rules (e.g., counting stories on sloped streets). These changes result from practical experience administering the new code since adoption in July 2023. Jake stated that the code is a living document and this is the second amendment cycle.
- Residential Commercial (ResCom) Classification: Councillor Nave raised concerns about the "ResCom" classification used to regulate rental properties without the term "family." Under the scheme, a homeowner renting out three or more rooms is classified as residential commercial, which triggers land use rules when converting non-bedroom spaces to bedrooms (e.g., requiring off-street parking and common area offsets). The classification is intended to prevent overcrowding and illegal conversions, and was reviewed by the state for constitutionality. There was confusion about how it applies to owner-occupied homes; Jake and the commissioner clarified that it only affects land use approvals, not day-to-day operations.
- ADU Restrictions: Councillor noted that Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are only permitted for owner-occupied properties, limiting community-based landlords. This has resulted in only two ADU applications citywide. She suggested future legislation to expand ADU allowances.
- Syracuse University Concerns: SU had concerns about PDI/PDD changes, but most have been resolved except for signage. A negotiated language change for Table 2.17 was too late for this cycle and will be included in the next amendment cycle. No concerns were received from LeMoyne College.
- Variances and BZA: Discussion on whether a pattern of variance requests could prompt code changes. Commissioner noted no pattern yet. Councillor expressed concern that applicants are sometimes discouraged from applying for variances if the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) lacks jurisdiction, and questioned whether applicants are informed about Article 78 appeals. The commissioner stated that the code specifies the right, but staff cannot give legal advice.
- Meeting Time and Public Participation: Councillor Caldwell raised that the meeting time (1 PM) may limit public participation. Jake noted that the Planning Commission work session was held in the evening, and that overall public engagement remains a challenge.
Key Outcomes
- No formal vote was taken during this discussion. The amendments are expected to be presented to the full City Council on Tuesday (likely October 14, 2025). Councillor Paniagua noted he would be absent and asked committee members to handle questions.
- The two-story minimum exemption for Erie Boulevard is included in this amendment cycle. Future cycles will address SU signage and possibly expanding the exemption to all MX2 districts.
- The committee adjourned around 3:00 PM to attend another meeting.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made during the meeting.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome everybody to a meeting in the economic development committee. We're um going to discuss uh rezone. I'm joined by Councillor Paniagua and Councillor Nave. Um, you know, this meeting was called a uh insistence of my colleagues as someone must have missed the notice that we were having the meeting today. Um, Jake, you know, if you could start off maybe going over um uh like a sketch of what we plan as far as like um corrections, not corrections amendments to rezone. Um just go through what I did last year. I would just say I you know, I can I don't want you to go through every single thing, but I I mean I've really have we'll see if others show up, but like I I have nothing new to add. Like these are these are real use situations that uh and examples that were updated based on actual case uh caseload and experience utilizing a new code for the first time and things that you know need to be added. Um, this isn't this is outfacing, right? These are things that help serve and develop our city. This isn't something that I'm pushing on. These are things that need to be updated or amended or corrected even for the people that we uh all serve, um, whether it's developers, whether it's homeowners, whether it's uh people that live here, do business here, uh, entertain here. But I mean, I'm happy to go through all the details again. I just I guess I would ask if it's necessary. Well, it seems like everything when I reviewed a lot had to do with like uh restructuring the sentence. Yeah, exactly. Um for people to understand. In consultation with corporation counsel and our land use attorney, a lot of it is kind of restructuring things, moving some things around, you know, definitions being added. Um again kind of in the weeds um sort of details if you're not doing it every day. Um, make it easier to uh for people to understand in consultation with corporation counsel and our land use attorney, a lot of it is kind of restructuring things, moving some things around, uh you know, definitions being added, um again uh kind of in the weeds um sort of details, um if you're not doing it every day, but these are things that this staff needs to do proper administration of the code, and it's uh it's like any new law or any anything new, like you're gonna learn as you go and and uh and adjust things or add things to it to make it better, and I think that's exactly what we're still in the process of is taking a a new code that was adopted uh two and a half years ago and still kind of molding that and fine-tuning that and shining it up. Um I mean, when we first envisioned this when we worked our way through the uh first part of rezone, uh we uh uh foresaw that we'd have to amend uh and be as flexible and fluid as we possibly can as far as this goes. I find most of the time with any kind of zoning ordinance, it's more or less the interpretation and the implementation of the of this particular uh zoning uh requirement than it is anything else. Well, sometimes I'll give a real example of what this this one of the one of the amendments that we're proposing will do. Um there's a two-story minimum requirement for uh development in certain areas, uh one being Erie Boulevard, and we have a an applicant uh who wants to redo a single story building, but by code it says you have to be a two-story. Well, we're fixing that in this. This is a real project. Somebody wants to spend money to fix up a building here. Uh it would be for uh it's uh biggie tire, who I believe they have a footprint down in the southern tier, Binghamton area, um, but can't do it right now because the code says two-story minimum, and what one of the changes we're making is um for development of uh that you can take a single-story existing building and develop it for for use. You know, the land use has to still be correct, but um it's things like that that are the bulk of the changes in here. Um or other so in a situation like that, that's an unconforming use is hit in as far as the new zone goes, but we're interpreting like since they do want to what do we give them a ver uh variance or what? Or well, no, we would we want to change the code so we can let them go ahead. Okay, so he's jammed up now, he hasn't been able to go ahead. Oh, yeah, he's been, yeah. So it's just for that one, right? That's just one of the changes, but yeah, I mean it's things like that. Like again, this is all outfacing. This isn't me coming up with you know all these crazy new policies to add to this because I want to this is just kind of going through and correcting and editing and updating just nuances of the code so we can better administer it day to day and get people what they need. So, what happens if like um like I understand that one what you're saying, but what happens if the average person wants to do something different, right? And then they want it this is not set up in zoning for that. Like, are they getting that same opportunity for stuff to be changed? Like, so for instance, that is a business, right? What was it? I would say the process we're taking is identifying if we're gonna make a change, it's citywide, right? Like, what is best for the city, not just the individual, like take him out of it. But that was a real example. Like we looked at it and said, Yeah, it probably doesn't make sense to have all these single-story buildings on every boulevard and say, yeah, to develop them, they all got to be two-story, like no, you know what I mean? Like, that's an existing, but it and it wasn't just Erie Boulevard, but that's just an example. There it exists on North State Street too, North Salina. There's uh you know, uh, I don't believe that that was the intent, at least that's what my interpretation is. I don't think that was the original intent on how the code got adopted like that originally, but that's what ended up going in it that way.
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