BANGOR, Maine — City officials are again moving to update zoning regulations in a bid to ensure landscaping businesses are able to continue operating in Bangor’s rural residence and agricultural district.

Stakeholders reviewed a new proposal for the changes during a public hearing Thursday. The move comes after the City Council rejected a previous proposal in June so city staff could better define and regulate landscaping businesses.

The ordinance is expected to move to the planning board at an unspecified date for an up-or-down recommendation before moving up to the council.

If approved by the council, the ordinance would define landscaping as an allowed use in the district, requiring planning board approval for landscaping businesses that have more than four employees.

The ordinance sets restrictions such as buffer zones, visual barriers and fences to mitigate the impact on neighboring properties.

The discussion stems from a landscaping business owned by former City Councilor James Gallant at his Ohio Street home.

The city issued Gallant a certificate of occupancy for the business in July 2014, but his neighbors — including Rep. John Schneck, D-Bangor — objected, appealing the decision to the city’s board of appeals, which rejected the appeal in a 2-2 vote and later declined to reconsider the matter in a 3-2 vote.

In response, neighbors filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the city’s decision on the grounds that landscaping businesses are not specifically allowed in the rural residence and agricultural district.

Since the 1980s, city officials have granted landscaping businesses certificates of occupancy under the district’s definition of horticulture, but Gallant’s neighbors argued that activities such as storing landscaping equipment and running snowplows do not meet the definition.

According to city officials, if the neighbors win the suit and the code is not updated, it could set a precedent that would disallow other landscaping businesses from locating in the district.

In August, the Penobscot County Superior Court remanded the lawsuit back to the city board of appeals, ordering its members to better explain what evidence they relied upon in casting their votes in 2014.

During a special meeting Thursday, Chairman Ken Huhn and Reese Perkins both maintained in discussion that they voted in favor of the neighbors because activities described in testimony did not meet the definition of horticulture. Perkins is no longer a member of the board but was recalled because he was one of the four votes in the original decision.

Board members Josh Brewer and Sam Canders maintained that the city had set a precedent by allowing other landscaping businesses in the rural residence and agricultural district and that there was not sufficient evidence to determine the city was at fault.

The board did not vote Thursday.

According to court documents, Gallant testified that he grew plants at the site to show to customers, but neighbors said the plants were there before he started the business.

Gallant said Thursday he has relocated most of his equipment to Glenburn, but he still uses his home to show customers features such as plants, garden walls and patios.

He said he is still fighting the suit out of concern for other businesses in the zone that may be affected by the lawsuit. Ed Bearer, an attorney for the neighbors, said they are still pursuing the lawsuit because Gallant is maintaining his certificate of occupancy in Bangor.

Follow Evan Belanger on Twitter at @evanbelanger.