For the first time in two decades, the city of Ogdensburg’s zoning map is getting a review.

The city planning and development board has recently been reviewing the map, which illustrates how Ogdensburg is divided into seven zoning categories. Each one has specific permitted and prohibited uses.

Those categories are single family residential, moderate density residential, mixed residential and business, business, industrial and institutional, mobile homes and planned development district.

At a meeting on Tuesday, the board members got out colored felt tip pens and made their mark on parts of the city map they’d like to see zoned differently.

State and Ford streets, for instance, are each multi-zoned. It might be better, some board members believe, if there was just one classification, like mixed residential and business.

“We need to be more consistent,” said board chairman Timothy Redmond.

But it’s all tentative. Once it gets serious, the board will make its recommendations to the city council, which will vote on whether to amend the code. The last time that happened was in the mid-1990s.

One councilor said he felt it was time to take another look at the document.

“I think it’s a good idea that it’s reviewed on a regular basis,” said y. “I think it should be reviewed every five years.”

Deputy Mayor Michael D. Morley disagrees. He has never heard a complaint about zoning matters from residents or members of the city’s zoning board of appeals.

“I think it’s a pretty good document,” Mr. Morley said.

Acting City Manager Philip A. Cosmo said that the city has changed enough in the last 20 years - demographics, population - to warrant a fresh look at the zoning map.

“It’s not a bad thing,” he said. “It’s not a static document. Things change.”

Thousands of readers like you have made Northern New York Newspapers the number one ranked website* for local news and sports coverage in the north country.

You can continue on to this article in a few seconds, or you can visit one of our websites:

• Watertown Daily Times
• The Ogdensburg Journal
• Daily Courier-Observer