HUTCHINSON, Kan. — It was expected to draw a lot of discussion and it certainly did.

The Hutchinson City Council chewed over a list of planning issues during Tuesday’s agenda session. The changes were put in place after the council and others felt certain guidelines and restrictions were hampering redevelopment in the city.

The one that has always seemed to gather the most attention is parking. There have been times when the city had to turn away a business owner because the property owner did not follow parking guidelines, most notably when it comes to paving.

The current code requires paved parking for all businesses. Under the new code, any existing building that will be redeveloped will not need paved parking except for ADA areas and driveway approaches. The issue was met with a lot of discussion by the board and outgoing Planning Director Janna McCarron:

 

 

Some of the changes to zoning regulations came at the request of Councilwoman Jade Piros de Carvalho, who said what is currently in place is simply not working:

 

Mayor Steve Dechant was the most outspoken against relaxing regulations, stating that it will make the city look non-progressive:

 

The rest of the council seemed willing to ease the restrictions in hopes that developers will look to reopen existing properties, knowing that an immense paving bill will not be part of the development. The council also looked over landscaping, site plan review and special use permits during Tuesday’s meeting.