Tonight, the Pierre City Commission heard the first reading of a plan to make the City’s landscape ordinance more flexible.
Sharon Pruess, City Planner, presented the suggested amendment that would reduce the minimum width of necessary public right-of-way greenspace from 15 feet to ten feet and allow city staff to approve an equivalent area of greenspace.
“This change basically gives us the ability to calculate the necessary amount of greenspace and then allow the property owner to situate that greenspace on the property in a way that makes sense for that particular lot,” said Pruess.
Pruess went on to add that the goal of the landscaping ordinance is to incorporate greenspace throughout the community without hindering development.
“We know that additional greenspace is beneficial for the environment, for storm water control, and for aesthetics, but we certainly don’t want the ordinance to hamper redevelopment or new construction,” said Pruess.
The landscape ordinance only pertains to new commercial and multifamily development or to commercial or multifamily developments that are undergoing major renovations. As presented, the amendment is not retroactive.
The Commission will hear second reading of the amendment on Nov. 19. The draft amendment can be found online at cityofpierre.org.