Please Send this Letter about Zoning to our Elected Officials

Apr 22

Please email this letter below to all of the addresses that follow the letter. Cut and paste the addresses into the "To" on your email. This includes both mayors, the City Council, the County Commission, the Land Use Control Board and DPD.

For guidance on interacting with the updated zoning map, see "How to use the updated zoning map."
https://midtownmemphis.org/memphis-30/density-we-support-e5rf7-jlz6r

PLEASE SEND THIS LETTER:

Re: Zoning suggestions, and a request for time

Elected Officials and Appointed Officials:

This letter is to make you aware of two things:

1) DPD is impeding, not assisting, public engagement by terminating input on its updated zoning map—even as it asks for public input, and

2) This letter also contains my zoning regulation suggestions.

On 4/13, Brett Ragsdale, Director of DPD, announced an updated zoning map release and the deadline of 4/30 for public input. But that updated map does not take input. There are no instructions for where to give input. DPD's first zoning map allowed citizen input directly through the map. DPD is asking for public input on their proposed zoning map and at the same time, they haveREMOVED THE OPPORTUNITY FOR INPUT from their zoning map. Deliberate or not, this and DPD's other mistakes in this rush for legislation continue to make it more difficult for Memphians to engage in DPD's public process. Please see the updated map and nowhere to reply: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/e0db55a525584d89912b5a0ba2437b12

Memphians really do deserve better.

We call for:

· 90 days from April 15 to review and understand DPD's new zoning code and updated map and to engage in dialogue with DPD for reasonable modifications.

· Leaving with City Council the final authority on land use appeals. That authority should not be taken from our elected officials and given to appointed administrators

· An explanation why DPD wants to terminate Residential Corridor designations, and why they want to allow commerce where this designation has prohibited it for decades

· An explanation why DPD is changing 180 degrees after agreeing in 2024 that open space as frontage was a mistake (see the history of 2112 Jefferson)

· Providing a citywide mailing to every property owner affected by DPD's zoning changes, as required by the UDC

There are, literally, hundreds more pages to review and we would like the time to do that.

Specific Zoning Requests:

Because the DPD map is no longer taking input, I am writing directly to request the following changes in the zoning regulations. Certain new housing types should be restricted in their implementation because if they do not work—if the corporate landlords prove to be poor shepherds of these properties, then the damage will have been contained; if they do work, we can implement them wider in the next 5-year update in 2029.

I would like to see the following changes to the RN-1 zoning regulations:

1. Single unit semi-attached has not been allowed in these neighborhoods so its introduction should be restricted to corners only, with one street being a connector.

2. Cottage court is not a single family use and should be removed from RN-1.

3. Fraternity/Sorority should not be allowed, even by Special Use Permit.

4. Respect the existing setbacks

I would like to see the following changes to the RN-2 zoning regulations:

1. Neighborhoods that were originally developed as single family detached homes and remain at least 50% single family detached should be downzoned to RN-1 (for example York Avenue in Central Gardens, parts of East End, Rozelle-Annesdale, etc.).

2. Cottage court is not a single-family use and is unlike anything previously allowed in this type zoning. They should require a Special Use Permit and be restricted to corners only, with one street being a connector, and not allowed adjacent to a single-family home.

3. 3-4 plex should be restricted to corners, one street being a connector, with use standards that prohibit it adjacent to a single family detached home. Lot size should be a minimum of 8000 sq ft and width should be minimum 50 ft.

4. Respect the existing setbacks

5. Fraternity/Sorority should not be allowed by Special Use Permit.

I would like to see the following changes to the RN-3 zoning regulations:

1. Because RN-3 allows so much more density than RU-3, a neighborhood should not be zoned RN-3 until there is a study of existing conditions including existing land use, property conditions and the amount of absentee ownership.

2. Cottage court must require a special use permit and not be allowed adjacent to a single-family home.

3. Use standards for 3-4 plex should require a minimum lot size of 8000 sq ft and width minimum 50 ft, and be prohibited if adjacent to a single family detached home.

4. Apartment buildings with more than 6 units should require a special use permit if the site is adjacent to a single family home.

5. Respect the existing setbacks

6. Single room occupancy should not be here but should be in a commercial district, where it could help redevelop our numerous failing commercial corridors.

We need 90 days to review the newly-drafted UDC document. Some of what we want to explore:

1. The process for special use permit & planned development.

2. Whether anything is replacing residential corridors

3. How are overlay districts like the Midtown Overlay being amended

4. How are the Landmarks overlay districts being amended

5. How are the public notice regulations for rezoning, special use permit, variance and subdivision being amended

6. How are the requirements for street frontage to allow subdivision lots being amended

7. How will the housing types be amended

8. How will the nonconforming regulations be amended

9. How will the streetscape, landscaping and screening regulations be amended

10. Will the planned development process remain in the regulations? What are the changes in the process including public notice?

11. What can be approved by administrative deviation? What is the process? Is there any public notice?