The Sunset Hills Board of Aldermen discussed changes to zoning regulations once more at its Sept. 8 meeting. The board passed a city code amendment that created five new classifications for recreational land use; it also voted to have a second reading of a senior living zoning designation at its next meeting.
The Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) — a part of Sunset Hills city code that lays out zoning, land use and development regulations — will now include five clearly defined classifications for recreational facilities. This amendment to the UDO was passed unanimously by the Board of Aldermen.
The five recreational facility classifications are as follows: athletic training facility, indoor; sports complex, indoor and outdoor; fitness center/health club; recreation facility, indoor; and amusement center, outdoor. For more information about what each classification entails, check out prior reporting by The Call.
The second decision made at the Sept. 8 meeting was to pass another UDO amendment — this one regarding senior living facilities — on for a second reading. No final decision on senior living facilities has been made yet. The Sunset Hills Board of Aldermen will have a final vote at next month’s board meeting to decide whether to approve or deny.
The proposed UDO amendment would grant senior living facilities their own zoning district, called a Senior Living District (SL). This district would include assisted living facilities, nursing homes and planned retirement care centers.
The board looked at two proposals for how to zone senior living facilities at the meeting. While the first option was to create a new SL District, the other was to include senior living facilities as a use in the General Commercial District.
“(The SL District) appropriately zones existing senior living facilities without introducing the full range of commercial uses to those properties and allows future senior living locations to be evaluated individually,” Director of Planning and Public Works Mike Knight stated in a memo. “For these reasons, the separate SL District is proposed as the more appropriate long-term land-use framework for senior living within the city.”
During public comment, Friendship Village CEO Terry Walsh echoed Knight’s statements. He submitted a statement to be read by Mayor Pat Fribis, where he said, “We agree that Mr. Knight’s memo that requiring Friendship Village or any other senior living to rezone to a commercial zoning district for any future expansions would be extremely problematic and would be met with firm opposition by neighboring property owners.”
Walsh added that he thought the creation of a new SL district was “good planning” and “the appropriate procedure for senior living facilities to operate in the city.”
Knight believes that both approaches would provide a path forward for senior living facilities, and both would apply the same development standards and review process. Under the second path, Knight brought up that senior living facilities could then be built in any General Commercial District in the future, and conversely, any senior living facility that disappears now could be replaced by a general commercial facility.
Fribis said she was concerned about this possibility, since many of the current senior facilities in Sunset Hills are near residential districts — potentially opening the door to commercial facilities near neighborhoods.
The Board of Aldermen will make its final decision next month.
