Supporting Small Businesses through Zoning Fueled, New York, Informationstartupuk, Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) APA’s 2017 National Planning Conference Monday, May 8, 2017 | 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. (#9108138)
Supporting Small Businesses through Zoning Session Overview • The Relationship Between Zoning and Small Business Development • Zoning Techniques to Support Small Businesses • Zoning Reform in Providence, RI planning.org
Supporting Small Businesses through Zoning Presenters • David Morley, AICP , Senior Research Associate, APA • Arista Strungys, AICP , Principal, Camiros, Ltd. • Robert Azar, AICP , Deputy Director of Planning and Development, City of Providence, RI planning.org
Supporting Small Businesses through Zoning The Relationship Between Zoning and Small Business Development • There are three distinct stages of small business development. • Businesses at different stages have different space needs. • Zoning affects each business stage differently. planning.org
The Relationship Between Zoning and Small Business Development Stages of Small Business Development • Stage 0: Sole Proprietorship • Stage 1: Between 2 and 9 Employees Stage 2: Between 10 and 99 Employees • Stage 0 Stage 1 Stage 2 personal or professional personal or professional services, artisanal personal or professional services, traditional services, artisanal manufacturing or production, online / manufacturing or production, online / brick- manufacturing or production, mobile / brick-and-mortar retail and and-mortar retail and restaurants online retail restaurants planning.org
The Relationship Between Zoning and Small Business Development Stage 0 Business Spaces Eric Archer making a MeeBlip, Create Digital Media, Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 2.0) My home office, Paladin27, Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0) Honeycomb Hair Salon, Bob Mical, Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0) planning.org
The Relationship Between Zoning and Small Business Development Stage 1 Business Spaces Gallery at Madison Square NeueHouse, Senseitells, Wikimedia (CC BY 3.0) Milwaukee Makerspace Shop, Pete Prodoehl, Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) U.S. Air Force planning.org
The Relationship Between Zoning and Small Business Development Stage 2 Business Spaces Tsugami Multifunction Turn Mill Machine, Whoisjohngalt, Wikimedia (CC BY-SA Beats_03, K2 Space, Flickr (CC BY 2.0) Ruby's Diner, David Shankbone, Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0) 3.0) planning.org
The Relationship Between Zoning and Small Business Development For Stage 0 Businesses • Zoning is a foreign language. • Zoning controls what type of business they can operate from a home. Building Permits - Planning and Zoning, teofilo, Flickr (CC BY 2.0) planning.org
The Relationship Between Zoning and Small Business Development For Stage 1 Businesses • Zoning use permissions may not acknowledge them. • “Context-neutral” zoning standards may make operating out of existing buildings cost prohibitive. Midland Street Commercial District, Andrew Jameson, Wikimedia(CC BY-SA 3.0) planning.org
The Relationship Between Zoning and Small Business Development For Stage 2 Businesses • Zoning use permissions may not acknowledge them. GC GI • “Context-neutral” zoning standards GC may make operating out of existing GC GI buildings cost prohibitive. GC • Zoning may not permit the types of spaces they want to lease in the places they want to lease them. planning.org
David Morley, AICP dmorley@planning.org
Supporting Small Businesses through Zoning Zoning Techniques to Support Small Businesses • Commercial Zoning • Use Permissions • Use-Specific Standards Development Standards • Adaptive Reuse • • Residential-Commercial Districts • Zoning Opportunities & Limitations camiros.com
Zoning Techniques to Support Small Businesses Commercial Zoning Commercial Districts are not a singular land use category Need to address difference in scale and intensity Could create barrier to small businesses Benefits to small and local businesses Genuine community character Niche as economic boom Encourage adaptive reuse Relation to zoning 1. Use permissions 2. Development standards camiros.com
Zoning Techniques to Support Small Businesses Use Permissions Beware the out of date use structure 1. Specific use approach 2. Cumulative or pyramid approach Consequences Complicated interpretations Text amendments required Special approvals – lengthy, costly Confusing & contradictory use structure Discourage new business camiros.com
Zoning Techniques to Support Small Businesses Generic Uses Group specific uses into larger use category Eliminates need for pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages of uses Use permissions, especially in matrix organization, become easier to understand More flexibility automatically built in camiros.com
Zoning Techniques to Support Small Businesses Generic Uses camiros.com
Zoning Techniques to Support Small Businesses C1 + C2 Uses + Uses Tailored to Districts these other ones, with some that have been Eliminate Cumulative Structure marked special in Relies on less intense districts to C1 but should be permitted + the establish base uses kitchen sink Amendment to less intense district impacts subsequent ones No tailoring – just “piling on” Confuses allowances: permitted vs. special/conditional Unintentional duplication of uses camiros.com
Zoning Techniques to Support Small Businesses Uses Matrix camiros.com
Zoning Techniques to Support Small Businesses New Types of Uses Monitor new uses May only be coming to understand impacts Conditions may be needed to mitigate impacts Called out to “highlight” their permission Examples of recent new uses Specialty food production Industrial design Artisan (craft) industrial Local alcohol production Food truck parks camiros.com
Zoning Techniques to Support Small Businesses The “Corner Store” New regulations for the old corner store Common in older cities, original mixed-use Integrated into neighborhoods Often nonconforming use and structure Rezoning to commercial too broad Issues to consider allowing them again What are the neighbors concerns? Only allow in existing structures? Do you allow a re-conversion if switched to residential? Do you want to allow new ones? Which uses do you allow? Are there parking issues? camiros.com
Zoning Techniques to Support Small Businesses The “Corner Store” STANDARDS USES • District standards apply • Art gallery • Storefront design • Arts studio Neighborhood Commercial standards • Day care center Establishment Use • No additional parking • Office required • Personal service Special use in residential districts • No drive-through • Retail * • No outdoor • Specialty food Definition: Commercial use storage/activity • Restaurant * established within a • Upper floors residential or * How to handle alcohol? office (not open to public) predominantly residential area in a • Sign permissions structure that is non-residential in its construction or original use A “basket” that holds a select number of uses compatible with the neighborhood camiros.com
Zoning Techniques to Support Small Businesses Temporary Uses Temporary uses as permanent investments Way for new business to start with minimal capital Encourage entrepreneurship Codes need to address each • Farmers markets Address permitted districts & • Mobile food sales locations, timeframes, management • Temporary retail sales plans, siting, signs, heath dept. & • Temporary entertainment outside code linkages • Seasonal events Zoning controls on private property camiros.com
Zoning Techniques to Support Small Businesses Home Occupations Evolving area of regulation Outdated provisions may prohibit common uses 3-D printing for prototype creation –violate “manufacturing” prohibition Specialty food production Allowances for client visits for office & teaching uses Number of employees Allow visits by appointment for viewings, sales Can impact new craft-type businesses camiros.com
Zoning Techniques to Support Small Businesses Development Standards Small business implies smaller structure Need a district that is a “home” for them Small clusters, original commercial corridors (Main Streets) A welcoming pedestrian environment Build-to lines/zones close to street Shopfront building design (transparency, public entrance articulation) Buffers against adjacent residential Shallow lot siting concerns Parking exemptions Proportional sign controls camiros.com
Zoning Techniques to Support Small Businesses Adaptive Reuse Adaptive reuse provisions Creates space for small business Old industrial buildings – single use or splits Closed institutional – ex: schools Permissions for reuse in districts Parking flexibilities Specific design standards camiros.com
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