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The City of Rochester, New York, recently adopted its first major zoning revision since 1975. From the outset, the City utilized teamwork and progressive thinking to create a flexible, end-user-oriented zoning ordinance.

The process began with a new Comprehensive Plan in 1999, “The Renaissance 2010 Plan,” developed after years of teaming between government officials and neighborhood groups. The process yielded a zoning ordinance that is streamlined, progressive and relevant to the needs of a changing City landscape. Rochester's zoning is one of the first in the country to regulate by design and performance, rather than use. For example, creating districts to encourage the development of “urban villages” of pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use neighborhoods, and a district focused on the Rochester Public Market, a diverse neighborhood of residential, commercial, and wholesale uses centered around the historic market.

Even before the new zoning was adopted, the City considered the most effective method of presenting the material. “One of our desires was to make it more user-friendly,” says City Director of Zoning, Art Ientilucci, one of the driving forces behind the new zoning. Clarity was one of the goals, and the City felt that additional features were needed to convey the information in a way that was accessible and comprehensive. “We felt it important to give as much certainty as we could to developers and residents,” commented Mr. Ientilucci. The City's Zoning Code includes extensive diagrams, summary charts of district regulations, design checklists, as well as guidelines and zoning interpretations promulgated by the Director of Zoning. “The new zoning includes more information for the public, which should make our job easier,” says Director Ientilucci. This presentation goes beyond public service to address due process issues and make the zoning fairer. According to Mr. Ientilucci: “Users should be able to understand the standard as well as the thought that went into making that provision.”

Working closely with General Code, the City made enhancements to its PC/CodeBook and E-Code. Enhancements included: jump links to take users from one point in the infobase to another; popup links containing supplemental information; Weblinks that launch a web browser to open sites or PDF files on the Internet; and "sticky notes" that contain additional information concerning particular sections. A citizen proposing to build a bed-and-breakfast can, with the click of a mouse, move easily from regulations concerning bed-and-breakfasts to the definition of a bed-and-breakfast. For comparison purposes, Weblinks connect users to four previous versions of Rochester zoning.

The Rochester zoning project is a testimony to teamwork - within Rochester City government, between the City and the community, and between the City and General Code. The project has put technology to its best use, making useful information accessible, quickly and easily.

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