Rochester commission recommends denial of Folwell neighborhood zoning change
Request to make way for proposed row-home development near Saint Marys Hospital will face City Council review in May. 11:56 pm, Apr. 28, 2021 ×
A home on the 500 block of 14th Avenue Southwest at the center of a debate about a proposed zoning change Thursday, April 22, 2021, in Rochester. (Joe Ahlquist / jahlquist@postbulletin.com)
A requested zone change to make way for a potential row-home development in the Folwell neighborhood failed to receive support Wednesday.
Following nearly three hours of presentations, public input and discussion, the Rochester Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-2 to recommend denial of a request submitted by one of its members.
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The city’s home-rule charter, which guides many aspects of city government, calls for waiting until after the ordinance reflecting the pay change is published, which can be done shortly after final approval.
Commission members, however, noted the proposed change doesn’t necessarily achieve the anticipated goal, since council elections rotate with three or four members facing re-election in a typical city election.
“If we say after the next election, we are still only going to have part of the city council affected by this particular change,” commission member Kathy Meyerle said.
Fellow commission member Ray Schmitz pointed out that in years when the mayor, who doesn’t directly vote on a salary change, faces re-election, only three voting council members would be on the ballot. The remaining four members would be enough to support a pay increase without being the subject of an election for two years.