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Planning and Zoning revamp continues

Codes were last updated in 1996.

CLOVIS — City officials are reviewing Clovis’ planning and zoning codes for the first time in 21 years.

The mission: Make codes more “flexible,” Zoning Officer and Commissioner Louis Gordon said.

“With the old code, we are starting to see a lot of development that we are scrambling to modify our code to accommodate,” he said.

The Planning and Zoning Commission is working with contractor Duncan and Associates on a $100,000 re-write that was supposed to be completed in 17 months in a six-step process.

P&Z commissioners said last week they’re only on step three after 16 months of work.

“It makes me nervous when I see something dragging on like this,” said Commissioner Steven Hill.

“Based on what I’m seeing, we’re looking at another two years before this is done and I don’t know how that can be.”

Gordon said it won’t take two more years, but confirmed the process is behind schedule. He thinks it needs another three months.

The commission last week was reviewing and editing a draft by Duncan and Associates before sharing proposals with the public.

P&Z commissioners said they don’t expect any additional costs, despite the delays.

Their gathering last week centered on language — “must” and “shall,” for example — and the fate of planned unit developments (PUDs) in the new code.

“PUDs are an old trend and we’re just trying to catch up with everybody else,” said Pete Wilt, director of building safety.

Wilt said even with possible changes for PUDs, the average resident won’t be affected by revised codes.

“We’re just doing this because we haven’t done it since 1996,” Wilt said.