The city of Syracuse is updating its land use regulation for the first time in over 60 years, and the plans are now available for people to see.
Syracuse has been on the map for almost 200 years. Cities that old have endured a lot between new methods of transportation and changes to the ways people live. Leader of Syracuse’s city planning division Owen Kerney said this is one reason why zoning from the 1950s and 60s needs to be modernized.
“There was a much greater separation of uses. You lived in one place and you worked another and you lived in one place and you shopped another and we see those boundaries blurring increasingly,” Kerney said.
The zoning update, called ReZone, is now available for the public to view and comment on. Their new plan includes more mixed-use zoning which allows business districts to have a variety of personal services, retail uses, and office space all in the same area. Kerney said this sort of zoning brings more investment to business corridors, but it also has a direct effect on what city residents will have access to in their neighborhoods.
“Many of those corridors are directly adjacent to our neighborhoods, South Avenue, Butternut Street. One property away and you're into a neighborhood. And so, establishing those mixed-use corridors along those streets will also provide a greater range of services to folks that are just down the block in the neighborhood, creating a more walkable environment, creating a more transit-friendly environment,” Kerney said.
Kerney said this project is not one that only consulted experts. They frequently asked residents what they’d like to see change.
“To date, we've had over 100 public meetings for the ReZone project, and that public input has really guided the creation of the final ordinance and map. So, we've had significant public input, we're in a process now that is a state environmental review process. The public comments that we expect to receive at the public hearing next week, and through the remainder of the month, we expect to be largely focused on potential environmental impacts,” Kerney said.
Residents are invited to review the Rezone Draft Generic Environmental Statement onlineand present any concerns at a public hearing on August 22 at 1 p.m. in the Common Council Chamber at Syracuse City Hall. Comments can also be submitted via email until September 2.