In the zone: The new ordinance and you

The requirements of the new zoning ordinance may fall primarily on architects and developers, but if you live within city limits, the new law affects you too. Here's how:

City residents, with the exception of those around the university, may now put one "accessory apartment" on their property, as long as they use the property as their own primary residence.

Now that entry corridors are zoned mixed-use, people looking for apartments will have more opportunities to rent above shops.

Some buildings are going to get taller– a lot taller. On West Main and around the University, you might soon have to be craning your neck to see the tops of new mixed-use buildings. Depending on the zoning and use, you might say the sky's the limit.

Shopaholics may soon have even more reason to spend: With mixed-use, small shopping centers are likely to spring up on entrance corridors all over town– and those that already exist are likely to expand and move closer to street front.

Bad news for downtown workers currently doing the "two hour shuffle." Parking spaces are going to become harder to find as parking requirements for new developments vary according to location and use. It's all a part of the take-public-transportation push.

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