Bridgeport favors conditional use permit over zoning code change

BRIDGEPORT – A zoning amendment request brought a lengthy discussion to the table at the regular monthly meeting of the Bridgeport city council last Wednesday, May 17.

Mario Martinez, a property owner at 1130 Columbia Avenue, petitioned the city for a zoning code amendment to change the current central business district designation to include auto sales as an allowed use, which it currently does not. Martinez had made his intent known at the January 2023 meeting and later tendered the requisite application and fee per regulatory procedure,

City Planner Kurt Danison presented the staff report prepared from the planning commission’s recommendation. The commission held a public hearing on May 4, and received one written and one oral comment, both of which opposed the change. Bridgeport does have commercial zones where auto sales are allowed but those properties are outside the downtown corridor and all the way to Highway 17. The commission had three options:

1. Deny the zoning code amendment.
2. Approve the zoning code amendment.
3. Approve a conditional use permit (CUP) with standard conditions instead of a code change. Those conditions would include:

       • Limited number of vehicles.

       • No vehicle repair on site.

       • All vehicles must have a current license and registration.

       • Limits to size and type of signage.

       • Business license.

       • Annual inspection and permit renewal.

       • Permit for person and not for business

The commission took note of the abundance of commercial zoned land outside the downtown core all where auto sales are permitted and more appropriate and denied the downtown zoning code request by a 2-1 vote.

Danison said the city council could:

1. Accept the commission’s recommendation and pass it.
2. Reject the recommendation.
3.  Remand it back to the commission with specific guidance for what the city wants the commission to do.

Considering that the city can only change its zoning code once a year, the council voted to remand the issue back to the planning commission requesting the commission to draft an annual renewable CUP with recommended conditions for reconsideration at the June council meeting.