04-17-2003 Regular Meeting and Public Hearing of the La Porte Planning and Zoning Commission

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#R 03-004 P&Z 5/15/03 Page 2 of 4 use in BI. In order to expand this non -conforming use, the applicant must apply to the Zoning Board of Adjustment. The applicant decided against this approach. The applicant looked at another option: rezone. Using this scenario, the applicant would ask to rezone the property from BI to LI; however, the SIC #3398 is an unlisted use in the industrial use table requiring a special conditional use permit. Staff determined that the use would fit as conditional in LI and would possibly be allowed in HI. The rezone to LI would alleviate some of the non -conformities; i.e. setbacks and allow his operation to bring another crane on site. If the zone change is approved, the applicant's other non -conformities must be resolved.. The applicant may still have to go to the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Analysis: The City is composed of numerous types of development, which are closely interrelated and interdependent with one another. With careful consideration and planning, this interrelationship may be beneficial to the whole community. The relationship of the applicant's proposal to the Comprehensive Plan needs to be emphasized as much as possible. In considering this request, Staff reviewed the following elements of the Comprehensive Plan. Land Use — The City's Land Use Plan indicates this area developing with commercial industrial uses. These uses are typically not as intense as the industrial land use which is where the applicant's request would be catergorized. Conformance of a zoning request with the land use plan is one consideration among several criteria to be considered in approving or denying a rezoning application. Other criteria may include: • Character ofthe surrounding and adjacent areas; • Existing use of nearby properties, and extent to which a land use classification would be in harmony with such existing uses or the anticipated use of the properties; • Suitability of the property for the uses to which would be permissible, considering density, access and circulation, adequacy of public facilities and services, and other considerations; • Extent to which the designated use of the property would harm the value of adjacent land use classifications;