Part of Salina food bank's property will be rezoned so it can add parking

Charles Rankin, Salina Journal
·2 min read

As more people need assistance from the Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank, a project to expand its parking lot passed its first hurdle this week.

The move comes as the Salina City Commission on Monday approved the rezoning of a portion of the food bank's property for commercial use.

The Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank is looking to add more parking at its facility at the corner of Chicago and Spruce Streets. The city commission approved a recommendation to rezone part of the food bank's property to allow for the parking project.
The Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank is looking to add more parking at its facility at the corner of Chicago and Spruce Streets. The city commission approved a recommendation to rezone part of the food bank's property to allow for the parking project.

City Zoning Administrator Dean Andrew said the food bank was located in the basement of Memorial Hall until 2001 when a grant was approved that allowed it to relocate to its current location at 255 S. Chicago St.

"Their property there extends over to a north-south alley...and had a mixed zoning of (commercial) and (residential zones)," Andrew said.

At the time, Andrew said this mixed zoning was not an issue as the portion zoned residential was only being used for gardening, which is allowed for that zone.

"Recently, (the food bank) contacted city staff about a desire to construct additional commercial off-street parking to support their facility," Andrew said.

The parking, which would consist of 14 new off-street spaces, would be placed in the area that is zoned for residential use and Andrew said this is not an allowed use in that zone, prompting the need to rezone the district.

"Their plan preserves their ability to maintain the garden but allows them to utilize the existing north-south alley as an accessway for their parking," Andrew said.

According to Andrew, the property directly south of the food bank is also zoned for commercial use, as the Ace Hardware store complex, and this new zoning would align with that zone.

The application for rezoning was first brought to the Salina City Planning Commission, which voted to recommend the change. The City Commission voted 5-0 to concur with the recommendation and approve an ordinance, on first reading, to make the zoning change. The ordinance will be brought back for a second reading at a later meeting.

Other City Commission business

The Salina City Commission meeting also included the following agenda items:

  • A study session on the state of the arts in the community led by Brad Anderson, executive director for the arts and humanities department.

  • Recognition of Nov. 1 as Extra Mile Day in Salina.

  • Approval, on second reading, to amend the boundary and area of the North Ohio Street Gateway Overlay District for the Beck's Hybrid Seed project.

  • Discussion and approval of a boundary area amendment for the city's Neighborhood Revitalization Plan as requested by F and W Tractor Company Inc. and authorizing city staff to distribute the updated plan to other local taxing jurisdictions.

  • Approval of adopting addendums to both the South View Estates, LLC and Building Kansas, LLC Rural Housing Incentive District Development Agreements.

As Oct. 30 is a fifth Monday, the Salina City Commission will not be meeting. The next scheduled commission meeting is on Nov. 6.

This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank adding parking with rezoning approved