The regulations imposed and the districts created by this chapter may be amended from time to time in the manner provided herein.
A. 
The City Council may from time to time on its own motion, amend, supplement, repeal or change the regulations and district boundaries established by this chapter.
B. 
Whenever the owners of 50% or more of the frontage in any district or part thereof shall present a petition, duly signed and acknowledged, to the City Council requesting an amendment, supplement, change or repeal of the regulations prescribed for such district, zone or part thereof, it shall be the duty of the City Council to vote upon said petition within 90 days after the filing of the same by the petitioners with the City Clerk.
C. 
The Planning Commission may, by resolution, propose an amendment, supplement, change or repeal of the regulations to the City Council. Within 90 days from the time such resolution is received by the City Council it shall be the duty of the Council to vote on such proposed amendment, except for those resolutions regarding a planned development district. Planning Commission resolutions related to a PDD may be taken up at the discretion of the City Council.
A. 
All applications for an amendment to the text of this chapter or for an amendment to the Zoning Map shall be filed with the Planning and Community Development Department who shall forward a copy of the same to the Commission.
B. 
Referral to Planning Commission. Every such proposed amendment of text or change in the Zoning Map shall be referred to the Planning Commission for report thereon before the public hearing provided herein. In recommending the adoption of any such proposed amendment, the Planning Commission shall state its reasons for such recommendation, describing any condition that it believes makes the amendment advisable and specifically setting forth the manner in which, in its opinion, the amendment would be in harmony with the Comprehensive Plan of land use for the City and would be in furtherance of the purposes set forth in this chapter. In recommending the rejection or revision of any proposed amendment, the Planning Commission shall similarly state its reasons.
Before any amendment, supplement or change in the regulations or district boundaries, there shall be a public notice and hearing in accordance with the requirements herein.
After the public hearing and referral to and report by the Commission, a majority vote of the members of the City Council shall be required to amend this chapter, except as described in the protest petition process.
If a written protest against a proposed amendment, supplement or change is presented to the City Council, signed by the owners of 20% or more of the area of the land included in such proposed change, or by the owners of 20% or more of the land immediately adjacent extending 100 feet therefrom or by the owners of 20% or more of the land directly opposite thereto extending 100 feet from the street frontage of such opposite land, such amendment shall not become effective except by the favorable vote of at least a super majority members of the City Council.
Chapter 310 of the Watertown Code, entitled "Zoning," adopted January 26, 1959, as codified by Local Law No. 1 of 1986, together with all changes and amendments thereto, is hereby repealed and declared to be of no effect.
If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part of this chapter shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered.