09-05-1991 Regular Meeting of La Porte Planning and Zoning Commission

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Page 5 of 6 Where adjacent structures within the same block have front yard setbacks different from those required, the front yard minimum setback shall be the average of the adjacent structures. If there is only one (1) adjacent structure, the front yard minimum setback shall be the average of the required setback and the setback of only one (1) adjacent structure. In no case shall the minimum front yard setback exceed thirty feet ( 30 ' ) . This averaging can be done by staff and does not require a hearing before the Board of Adjustment or any other City Board or Commission. If adapted to Commercial application, the provision would benefit Main street while having minimal impact on the City's other Commercial areas. USES: A review of the proposal submitted by the Main Street Association (Exhibit B, Main Street Exhibits) indicates that the majority of uses proposed for Main Street by and large, are Permitted uses in La Porte's Neighborhood Commercial (N. C.) Zones. An "up zoning" of all or part of Main Street could provide for the retail/office/restaurant mix favored by the Commission and Main Street Association while precluding most of the G. C. uses which appear to be incompatible with the goals being established for the district. If this option is chosen, some careful broadening of Permitted N. C. uses may be in order. Most notable is the need for inclusion of SIC 5932, the listing which includes antique shops. In summation, the Main Street approach described above, can be viewed as a cautious approach that would give Main Street the near term "use protection" it seeks while at the same time avoiding major ordinance revisions. This approach would allow continuation of the restoration work undertaken by the Nieuwenhuis' and other Main Street property owners. It will as well allow the street to continue to evolve as a specialty shopping district. This appears to be an approach worthy of serious consideration by the Commission.