With a draft in hand, the City of Warren Planning Commission went to work on a freshly-minted zoning ordinance during Wednesday’s meeting.

Brandi Rosselli with Mackin Engineering, the firm that drafted the ordinance, said the task before the planners was to take action to start a 45-day public comment period on the draft proposal.

But before they took that action, concerns were raised and some changes were made to the draft proposal.

The discussion kicked off with Commission member Randy Gustafson raising concern about whether zoning regulations are inhibiting redevelopment in certain pockets of the city.

“We looked at the zoning ordinance overall, trying to prevent unfettered and uncontrolled growth just being nuisances to other people,” he said. “I think that’s what, in general, zoning ordinances look like.”

No one would argue that blighted properties are an issue in the city.

As properties are demolished, there can be zoning hindrances – parking, lot size – from building new in that same space.

“We’re creating a condition in the city,” Gustafson said, where zoning ordinances are “going to prevent redevelopment of condemned properties. I think as a commission we got to think about that. I just don’t want to scare somebody off. (We) have to make it possible to put a building back where a building was. It’s a long-term disease that we have to consider.”

Discussion then included existing regulations and processes that allow rebuilding on the same foundation in the wake of structure fires as well as parking regulations where off-street may not be required when public parking is within a certain distance.

“There are ways to lessen that burden for property owners,” Rosselli said.

Commission member Angela Abreu raised concern about the definition of a kennel in the draft ordinance.

“The way it reads it could apply to anybody’s home,” she said.

A change was made to specify commercial use in the definition but the commission then had a broader discussion about whether zoning can be used to regulate the number of animals a person owns. Abreu said she’s seen ordinance that limit to four or five and Rosselli said the firm can research that issue.

Zoning and Ordinance Enforcement Official Scott Taylor noted that to install a kennel soundproof walls are required, among other provisions.

“There’s more in the proposed draft that this committee needs to look at than just the number of animals,” he said.

An addition to the ordinance would be to prohibit ground-mounted solar panels in front yards. Taylor said he has received complaints about panels he has approved in backyards.

The commission also discussed storing vehicles on a property, changing the definition from “derelict” to “inoperable.”

Taylor said that would result in consistency between the zoning ordinance and the International Property Maintenance Code.

The ordinance will be available for public review after consideration by council at a January meeting.