For many months, Gerald’s Planning and Zoning Commission has been working on a long-term project. The group decided that before working on future zoning plans for the city, it would be helpful to see how properties are currently being used. The group has devoted a portion of time at each meeting to color code a blank map. At the same time, the group notes any non-conforming property they can identify. In many cases, properties have been “grandfathered” into their current use which might be different than the zoning code. One example of this is the use of residential quarters in the business district. Several businesses have apartments, or other living quarters, as part of their commercial buildings. The coding of the map was completed at the last Planning and Zoning Commission meeting held Tuesday, Aug. 4. In September, the group will look at whether it makes sense to change city codes to reflect actual usage in such instances.