Plan Commission & Zoning Board of Appeals

Mission & Purpose

The Plan Commission is a seven member commission of resident volunteers who are appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City Council. The Commission oversees the preparation and implementation of the City's Comprehensive Plan through review of development applications. The Commission conducts Public Hearings for proposed amendments to the Zoning Code , Conditional Uses and Zoning Map Amendments. It also reviews subdivisions of land through the City's Subdivision regulations. The City of Batavia Community Development Staff provide technical support for the Plan Commission.

Plan Commission Review

The Plan Commission makes recommendations to the City Council's Committee of the Whole. Any development proposal that involves a change to the City Code or any proposal that is required to have a review under the Zoning Code, Title 10 of the Batavia Municipal Code, must come before the Commission. It is the responsibility of the Commission to thoroughly review these proposals and to make recommendation to the City Council's Committee of the Whole. The Commission holds public hearings to take public comment on developments and revisions to the Zoning Code and Comprehensive Plan.

The Commission reviews and makes recommendations to the City Council on Zoning Map amendments (rezonings), conditional uses (sometimes known as special uses in other communities), and planned developments. These require the Commission to conduct public hearings, with notice given to adjacent property owners, as well as publication of a legal notice in a local newspaper (the Daily Herald). Annexations, when a property owner asks the City to expand its municipal boundary to bring his/her property into the City limits, are reviewed by the Plan Commission. The City Council must approve all annexation requests, and it must hold a public hearing on any annexation application that includes an agreement with the property owner specifying details of the annexation.

The Commission also reviews preliminary subdivision plats and applications for Design Review. These do not require formal public hearings but are conducted at open public meetings. Decisions of the Plan Commission on these matters are final unless appealed to the City Council. Some development proposals involve 2 or more applications that may be reviewed concurrently.

The members of the Plan Commission also serve as the City's Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). The ZBA hears applications for relief from strict application of the Zoning Code (called variances) and appeals from decisions of administrative staff regarding zoning matters.

Commission Meetings

The Plan Commission holds open meetings on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers of Batavia City Hall, The ZBA may also meet at the same time, or may hold special meetings to review variances and appeals. See the Agenda Center to see current or past meeting agendas. Agendas are also posted at City Hall. Plans of proposed projects currently under review are displayed in the hallway outside the Council Chambers. Meeting minutes are generally available after the next Commission meeting.

Members

  • Sarah Harms
  • Joan Joseph
  • Thomas Gosselin, Chair of the Plan Commission & Zoning Board of Appeals
  • Amy Moore, Vice-Chair of the Plan Commission & Zoning Board of Appeals
  • Tom LaLonde
  • Sue Peterson
  • Katherine Swiecicki