Zoning Case Under Advisement
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An application for WMU-5 Walkable Urban Mixed-Use District on property zoned IR Industrial Research District, on the south corner of Empire Central Drive and Forest Park Road. Staff Recommendation: Approval. Applicant: Reid Beucler / Slate Properties Representative: Rob Baldwin / Baldwin Associates U/A From: May 7, 2026. Planner: Mona Hashemi Council District: 2 Z-26-000050
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Actions
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Confirm whether City Council must adopt this rezoning ordinance
Why now: The matter record states the case was approved outside Council with no later procedural step verified, and the minutes note that vote detail, notices, and speakers continue on subsequent pages not in the record (Item 17, carried 11-0, June 11, 2026).
What to do: Ask the city secretary and planner Mona Hashemi for the commission's final action sheet and the full minutes pages the record says continue beyond the vote tally, then confirm in writing whether an adopting ordinance from Council is still required for the district change to take effect. If you advise a client that Walkable Urban Mixed-Use entitlements are final based on the commission vote alone, you are relying on a record that does not verify the last procedural step.
Act before: After the requested records are produced
Test Empire Central industrial site before mixed-use construction
Why now: The commission approved changing the south corner of Empire Central Drive and Forest Park Road from IR Industrial Research District to WMU-5 Walkable Urban Mixed-Use District on June 11, 2026 by an 11-0 vote (Z-26-000050).
What to do: The parcel carried Industrial Research zoning until this approval, so order a Phase I environmental site assessment and confirm any prior industrial occupancy before designing residential floors under the Walkable Urban Mixed-Use standards. Skipping this now means discovering soil or groundwater issues after foundation design and financing are locked.
Act before: After the next material record update
Ask why Empire Central rezoning stalled a month
Why now: The item appeared May 7, 2026 with a staff recommendation of approval, was held under advisement, and carried 11-0 on June 11, 2026, with absent count derived from 14 total minus 11 votes cast (Item 17).
What to do: Request the May 7 and June 11 commission records for this case and ask staff what changed during the hold, since the staff recommendation was approval on both dates yet the item was pushed a full month. Also ask why only 11 of 14 commissioners cast votes on the final action and whether any recused.
Act before: After the requested records are produced
Check what buildings now fit the Forest Park corner
Why now: The commission voted 11-0 on June 11, 2026 to rezone the south corner of Empire Central Drive and Forest Park Road in Council District 2 from Industrial Research to WMU-5 Walkable Urban Mixed-Use, with Mona Hashemi as planner.
What to do: Housing, shops, and mixed-use buildings can now be proposed on a corner that previously allowed only industrial research uses, so pull the Walkable Urban Mixed-Use district standards for height, setbacks, and parking from the planner assigned to the case before any site plan is filed. Once a building permit application is in, the allowed height and bulk are no longer up for discussion.
Act before: After the next material record update
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Timeline
An application for WMU-5 Walkable Urban Mixed-Use District on property zoned IR Industrial Research District, on the south corner of Empire Central Drive and Forest Park Road. Staff Recommendation: Approval. Applicant: Reid Beucler / Slate Properties Representative: Rob Baldwin / Baldwin Associates U/A From: May 7, 2026. Planner: Mona Hashemi Council District: 2 Z-26-000050
Vote: 11 for, 0 against, 3 absent
recommend approval of WMU-5 Walkable Urban Mixed-Use District
Vote detail, notices, and speakers continue on subsequent pages; absent_count derived from total (14) minus votes cast (11)
An application for WMU-5 Walkable Urban Mixed-Use District on property zoned IR Industrial Research District, on the south corner of Empire Central Drive and Forest Park Road. Staff Recommendation: Approval. Applicant: Reid Beucler / Slate Properties Representative: Rob Baldwin / Baldwin Associates Planner: Mona Hashemi Council District: 2 Z-26-000050
Vote: 14 for, 0 against
hold under advisement until June 11, 2026
This item was heard individually. *Rubin out of room, shown voting in favor