Project Description

Several adopted neighborhood and sub-area plans include recommendations to rezone an area to a more appropriate zoning district, often reflecting the actual land uses, or to encourage more compatible land uses and development patterns.

Many adopted neighborhood and sub-area plans include recommendations to rezone areas to a more appropriate zoning district for the actual land uses or to encourage more compatible land uses and development patterns. The City of Fort Wayne Planning and Policy Department and the Allen County Department of Planning Services have formed a Proactive Rezoning Work Group to rezone corridors and other areas identified as part of these neighborhood and community-based plans.

Staff will review and evaluate the rezoning recommendation and then meet with property owners and the public to discuss the rezoning changes. A rezoning request is then filed with the Fort Wayne Plan Commission following standard practices administered by the Plan Commission staff.

A formal public hearing is held before the Plan Commission for review of the request, at which time property owners and the public can provide input and ask questions. Letters and emails can also be sent to the Department of Planning Services before the public hearing. One week later, the Plan Commission will meet to make a recommendation to send to City Council. The council usually meets a few weeks later to make their final decision.

This rezoning implements the first phase of recommended rezoning along the Fairfield corridor as identified in the adopted Packard 2030 Neighborhood Plan. The rezoning area includes the west side of Fairfield Avenue from 1936 to 2022 Fairfield Avenue and would rezone these properties from C3/General Commercial to UC/Urban Corridor.

This block of Fairfield consists of several late 19th and early 20th-century commercial buildings with zero front and side yard setbacks. The UC/Urban Corridor district intends to recognize that certain urban commercial areas have special importance to the community because of their historic character, urban development patterns, relationship to the surrounding neighborhood, pedestrian-oriented streetscapes, and distinct urban architecture and form. The UC district will allow for and encourage mixed uses focusing on neighborhood and pedestrian-oriented commercial and personal service uses.

The Urban Corridor district is intended to recognize that certain commercial corridors have special importance to the community because of their collective, cohesive identity, historic character, urban development patterns, relationship to the surrounding neighborhood, pedestrian oriented streetscapes, and distinct urban architecture and form. In keeping with this intent, the UC district should allow for and encourage mixed uses with a focus on neighborhood oriented commercial and personal service uses at the street level. New development is encouraged to be compatible with the existing historic development patterns by locating buildings close to the street in order to enhance pedestrian activity along the corridor. New residential development is encouraged to locate on the upper floors of new and existing commercial structures. Parking standards in these areas should accommodate historic development patterns which typically allow for on-street parking, the use of alleys to access parking areas behind buildings as well as access to public transit routes and alternative transportation modes. Urban Corridor districts should generally be located along arterial streets in neighborhoods surrounding the core of the City.