The Planning Commission on Monday afternoon sent on to the City Council the new Form-Based Code that makes major changes in zoning for downtown, the North Shore and Southside.
The approval came after some parking requirements for developers were added after being removed earlier.
Karen Hundt of the Regional Planning Agency said a new for some parking controls had been heard often at planning meetings. But she said the staff found there are already many vacant parking spots throughout the designated area, though some do require walking some distance.
There will be no parking requirements on downtown core projects.
Otherwise, development of three or more units must provide .75 spaces per unit. For live/work units, it is one space per unit. For commercial, it is one space per 1,000 square feet of gross leasable space.
For industrial, it will be a space for every two workers for the two largest shifts.
Developers can count remote parking sites within a quarter mile of the project.
Ms. Hundt said the new zoning covers 2,163 parcels.
John Bridger, RPA executive director, said projects were often delayed and there were contentious hearings with the present system. He said the new rules would give developers "predictability."
He said there would still be an appeals process for requests for "any major deviation" from the Form-Based Code.
There have been a series of public meetings about the new process starting with a kickoff in January 2015. A consultant from Texas helped develop the process.
There will be a six-month grace period after approval by the City Council for projects to go under the current system or the new one.
Franklin McCallie and Garnet Carter said the parking changes were welcome, but still not adequate.
The City Council is to take up the issue on June 14 and June 21.
The Planning Commission, at the lengthy hearing, approved a number of exceptions requested by land owners.
Attorney Joe Degaetano was allowed to keep a four-story height limit for his property next to the Walnut Street Bridge.
After opposition to allowing a building up to six stories at the site of Buffalo Wild Wings on Market St., that was lowered to four stories.
Some cases were delayed, including requests related to the height of buildings along the river.