The Planning Commission shall have such powers of recommendation and control as may be determined by ordinance of Council, concerning building, design, location, removal, relocation and alteration of any building or structures belonging to the Municipality or located in or on public streets or public property; the location, widening, extension and vacation of streets, parks, park places, playgrounds and other public places, the approval of plats for the subdivision of land, location of railroads and street railways, the zoning of the Municipality for the purpose of regulating the location of trades, industries, apartment houses, dwellings or other uses of property, the height and design of buildings, the percentage of the area of lots which may be occupied by buildings, the area of a lot per family of occupation, the provision of yard space, the fixing of building lines and the preparation of plans for the future physical development and improvement of the Municipality and such other powers as are now or hereafter may be conferred by the general law or by ordinance, provided, however, that existing zoning ordinances shall be continued in full force and effect until repealed or modified by ordinance of Council.
Such Planning Commission may recommend to Council the amending, changing or modifying of said ordinances, including the placing of additional restrictions upon any property or the reducing or abrogating of any present restrictions now imposed thereon by the existing zoning ordinances as duly enacted and amended by Council; provided, further, that any public hearings provided for in said zoning ordinances shall be held before the Planning Commission instead of Council, and all provisions provided by ordinance governing the filing of petitions, consents, notices, protests and proceedings shall apply to said hearings before the Planning Commission.