Phase II Kickoff Moves to Action

The City of Hamilton's Zoning Code Update Working Group and Planning Department Staff have completed a series of Neighborhood Kickoff Meetings. 5 presentations and group discussions took place from late November to early January throughout the City and virtually, with 78 total attendees.

Community participants, Working Group members and staff covered a variety of topics surrounding land use, growth, development, and Hamilton's existing regulations. Based on these conversations, Staff identified a number of common themes that the community desired to see as part of Phase II code amendments:

• Preserve naturally occurring affordable housing.

• Expand opportunities for home occupations.

• Focus higher intensity development along key transportation corridors such as Marcus Street.

• Incentivize development of smaller single-family homes.

• Provide flexibility for older, possibly non-conforming, homes and parcels.

• In-fill on Hamilton’s westside should be developed in context with surrounding development patterns; at a similar scale to existing development. Multi-family in-fill developments on the west side can be accommodated, but attention needs to be paid to form and scale. 

• The use of density or height bonuses could be used to incentivize affordable housing along key transportation corridors such as Marcus Street, provided there is not a substantial negative impact on viewsheds.

• Allow a broader range of commercial and mixed uses along Marcus Street and Highway 93.

• Higher density housing is needed in Hamilton to provide more housing options and reduce pressures of sprawl. 

The Zoning Code Update Working Group will next meet on Monday, January 29th at 5:30pm at Hamilton City Hall (223 S. 2nd St) to discuss these themes. CLICK HERE for a meeting packet, which includes a summary of Kickoff meetings of the detailed Phase II Scope of Work.

Following this discussion, Staff will refine themes into draft Action Items that will be discussed at a future Working Group Meeting (date and time TBD). Once the Working Group has finalized Action Items, another series of Neighborhood Meetings will be scheduled to discuss proposals and ensure they accurately reflects Kickoff feedback. After this point, Staff and the Working Group will move toward technical code amendments, and assess the need for zoning map amendments and Future Land Use Map amendments in the Comprehensive Plan.

See the projected timeline for Phase II below:

To remain up to date on Working Group Meetings, Phase II, and future Code Updates, Register for Updates.