From
Chris Hartmann
Title
Discuss changes to Downtown/CA zoning regulations
Presenter
David P. Jones, AICP, Chief City Planner
Recommended Action
Approve
Analysis
Background
On March 19, 2019, Jason Claunch with Catalyst Commercial presented City Council with the Downtown Master Plan. This plan establishes the vision for downtown as an engaging, walkable, and livable place with a broad and attainable mix of housing options, niche destination restaurants and retail, and quality hangout places.
Zoning is one of the tools the City can use to implement this vision. However, the zoning standards in place need to be revised to function as an effective tool. Downtown zoning should address the following elements:
· Urban Form - Buildings should be placed close to the street in the downtown core to create a consistent street edge;
· Pedestrian Environment - Building design and streetscape elements should create an interesting and comfortable walk for pedestrians;
· Mix of Uses - Zoning should create conditions to achieve a mixture of uses that generate foot traffic throughout the day as well as a nighttime population; and
· Strategic Parking - Parking standards should avoid superfluous parking and large surface parking lots that interrupt the streetscape while prioritizing shared parking and use of public parking areas.
Zoning Analysis
Catalyst Commercial also completed an evaluation of the City’s downtown zoning and has identified issues and made recommendations.
Issues
1. Zoning districts are fractured and do not relate to a clear vision. There are multiple zoning districts within the current CBD2 Overlay, even though Central Area (CA) and CBD are often used interchangeably.
2. Lack of a connection between vision and zoning makes for an unpredictable development environment.
3. Information is scattered throughout the Unified Development Code, making it difficult for developers to determine which standards apply and where to find them.
4. Zoning standar...
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