Two-hundred-and-sixty-one parcels within Auburn City limits are within the C1 zoning designation.

But for the last year or so, the City has been receiving and processing applications for residential uses on such properties that had been intended for light commercial uses only.

On Monday evening the Auburn City Council voted 7-0 to place a one-year freeze on the practice.

As Kevin Snyder, director of community development and public works for the City of Auburn told council members before the vote, in the interval the City has been accepting such applications, staff have been talking with Mayor Nancy Backus about whether the City should keep allowing this to happen.

“Previous council action has allowed residential land uses within the zone,” Snyder explained, adding that staff recently determined that the right thing to do would be to “take a timeout,” thereby allowing for policy-level conversations with City Council, with the Planning Commission and with the community.

“Council has allowed a potential reduction in property tax values and sales tax revenue opportunities, and from staff’s perspective, we believe it is important to look at the continued appropriateness of this,” Snyder said.

Snyder emphasized that no particular action or application brought about the resolution, just the aggregate of staff thoughts and investigations.

The resolution set a public hearing on the issue for 7 p.m., Jan. 19 in the City Council Chambers, 25 W. Main St.

After the public hearing, should council continue to support the resolution, staff will begin to conduct appropriate outreach with affected parties and engage in policy-level consideration and consultations, ultimately bringing the matter back to the City Council

“We do not anticipate it will take a full year,” Snyder said.

Council members weighed in.

“I fully support this approach and think that there’s a lot to be gained by giving a better definition around the C1 zone and transitions to neighborhoods, but you may want to emphasize that this does not put a moratorium on processing current applications, only on accepting new applications,” Councilmember Rich Wagner advised Snyder.

“Councilmember Wagner is correct,” Snyder said, adding that applications for non-residential uses in the C1 zone would also be unaffected.

“I think it’s extremely important to get the pros and cons from the public, both sides of the story, and allow this expression to take place to give the council a better opportunity to see the impact of this,” said Councilmember Claude DaCorsi.