Utica, NY - Tonight, the Utica Common Council held a meeting to discuss the city's updated zoning regulations which is being reviewed for the first time in 26 years.
The city was awarded a $168,750 grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to update its zoning ordinance.
The city's updated zoning ordinance includes notable changes to the zoning map.
The number of designations would be reduced from 18 to 10, plus a decrease of planned development zones from five to one which includes the Utica Business Park and Riverside Center.
According to the ordinance, the planned development district will provide flexible land use and unique development that complies with districts adjacent.
Most residential neighborhoods will not be significantly impacted by the updates.
An area of focus in this meeting was how the city will go about notifying residential, industrial and commercial owners of this new change.
“Most of the business owners don't even know this is existing. That's my opinion. I don't think we've notified enough business owners and I don't think we've notified enough people at the residence they're living in. I think that they should be properly notified directly,” said Frank DiBrango, Common Council member.
It was decided there will be a committee meeting in which the council will continue to refine the legislation.
The Council also discussed police transparency and the Utica reform com