Subject:
Title
Discuss Draft Amendments to Maple Avenue Commercial (MAC) Zone and Other Commercial Zoning Districts along with Related Amendments per Town Council Directive
Body
OVERVIEW:
At the August 19, 2019 meeting, Town Council directed staff to draft amendments to the Maple Avenue Commercial (MAC) Zone as its top priority and simultaneously to consider amendments to the regular commercial zoning districts of C-1, C-1A, C-1B, and C-2 in Chapter 18 of the Town Code that effect the MAC. Staff was also directed to draft amendments to the commercial zoning districts that require the MAC streetscape, require landscaping for parking lots, and to consider changes to parking requirements or other incentives to encourage economic growth on Maple Avenue when drafting these amendments.
To date, Town Council has held two work sessions to discuss the proposed amendments, on September 9 and October 9, 2019. Per the October 9th discussion, attached are comments and priority areas for further discussion and consideration, as provided by the Mayor and members of Town Council. Also attached are the previously proposed draft amendments and commercial corridor design guidelines.
Staff is looking for guidance on what matters Town Council would like to receive feedback on from residents, business owners, and property owners, which will be the basis of a community survey.
BACKGROUND SUMMARY:
At its September 17, 2018 meeting, the Town Council voted to temporarily suspend the MAC Zone for 270 days to provide staff time to develop design guidelines, along with related MAC amendments. The moratorium went into effect on September 30, 2018, and originally was set to end on June 27, 2019. On May 13, 2019, the Town Council voted to extend the moratorium to November 15, 2019.
During the fall of 2018, over one thousand Town residents, property, and business owners provided input through a visual preference survey, which was the basis for creating the draft design guidelines and proposed amendments to the MAC Zone regulations. The preliminary draft design guidelines and proposed draft amendments to the MAC Zone were provided to the Town Council, Planning Commission and Board of Architectural in February, 2019. Both documents were also posted on the Town’s Maple Avenue Vision webpage. Staff provided an update on the process to Town Council on February 11, 2019. Community workshops on the draft amendments were held on March 29 and 30; approximately 175 people attended.
On May 1, 2019, a joint work session of the Town Council, Planning Commission and Board of Architectural Review was held to discuss the preliminary draft design guidelines and proposed draft amendments to the MAC Zone. Prior to that, the Planning Commission and Board of Architectural Review each held two work sessions to review the proposed drafts. Preceding this action, the Planning Commission and Town Council held two joint work sessions in May and June, 2018, on proposed amendments of the MAC ad hoc committee to amend the MAC Zone. The Planning Commission also held a public hearing and made a recommendation on several amendments to the MAC Zone on August 8, 2018. Those amendments have not yet been forwarded to the Town Council for consideration; rather, they will be considered with other proposed amendments to the MAC Zone.
At the direction of the Mayor, an ad hoc committee was formed in spring, 2018 to research and develop potential amendments to the MAC Zone that would ensure future mixed use developments would not result in a loss of commercial activity along the corridor, but rather provide a balanced mix of housing, office and retail uses as was envisioned when the MAC Zone was formed.