The city’s decision not to rezone some areas of the north side near Jackson-Taylor Park is a good compromise, in our opinion.

We aren’t surprised some neighborhood residents pushed back on the city’s proposal to rezone some areas of the park from an R-2 area to a C-1 designation in an attempt to open more of the neighborhood up to allowing business development. There has been neighborhood pushback against business expansion in that area in the past, so we had a feeling that not everyone in the area the city was considering rezoning would be happy.

Under the new proposal, Lafayette Street and Jefferson Street will remain R-2 zones, which means it will remain residential. Other areas of the neighborhood will be rezoned to allow small businesses – with city officials pointing to neighborhood coffee shops, small restaurants or niche shops that could be opened with the new zoning designation. One reason to make the change, city officials have said, is to allow buildings that were built to house businesses to be used for their intended purpose because they are in an R-2 zone and require approval from the city Zoning Board of Appeals to be used for a business.

City officials have made the right move by addressing the concerns of north side residents who were uneasy with rezoning parts of their neighborhood. As the city undergoes a rewrite of its zoning code it’s worth keeping in mind that there are many people who prefer quiet neighborhoods that are primarily residential. North side residents aren’t the only ones concerned about parking issues that could come with new small businesses and with noise and additional traffic that come with small businesses.

The Development Department’s dipping of its toes in the rezoning water also should serve as a reminder for city residents to pay attention during the upcoming zoning code rewrite to make sure they are comfortable with the city’s proposed changes. The process will be open to the public – but it’s incumbent on the public to be engaged in the process.