Planning Commission Regular Meeting/Work Session

Naptystaffadopted document moving forward from there as I mentioned a 2012 comprehensive plan included the four page summary of the Fairfax Boulevard master plan and this was the only component that was ever adopted and that actually included this graphic here which provided a summary of it so the context was there the ideas it just didn't have all the detail that was developed during the Fairfax Boulevard master plan and it also lacked the detail that we strove to create in future efforts including our small area plans when the comprehensive plan was rewritten in 2019 the idea for mixed-use development at these locations continued as well as keeping the primarily commercial context along the corridors that separate them so terminology change we now call them

activity centers and the connectors were really just following our lane use type which for which was commercial corridors the boundaries were revised through additional efforts and looking at where we thought development could happen most appropriately and then for some of the activity centers the boundaries were further revised as we developed the small area plans picket main was added in 2019 as an activity center that was based on feedback from the planning commission and city council at that time and this was the first time where it was specifically recommended that we develop small area plans for each activity center and this would provide us the additional detail needed to help when we are considering redevelopment and where we are programming for public investments

and so with the 2024 review the concept is generally the same as what it was in 2019 a couple of the the boundaries for the activity centers were revised slightly again based on the recommendations of the small area plans but we I wanted to point out here there's a two arrows that point to the I'm not sure if this is working oh there

Kirsten Lockhartby voiceYeah, sorry. Can I just quibble a little bit with the choice of language most desirable for mixed use? I feel like at least from my perspective when we were going through these discussions it wasn't so much most desirable as sort of closest to achieving mixed use because there are a lot of places that it could be desirable to have mixed use but we're not considering them because there is no plan for development of that area right now, right? adjacent to small area plans but these were sort of projects that we either know are coming or or you know have been introduced to the city so they were sort of the most viable applications of the mixed use place type I don't know that most desirable is necessarily the right

NaptystaffSo once it's gone, it's gone. The second point about scattering new residential development, this gets to the point earlier about why attracting residential development to our activity centers is important because it can help create that cohesive environment. It helps build new neighborhoods and having just a single residential or mixed use development really only does so much to do that. and then having multiple versions of them adjacent to each other to create that type of neighborhood. And then we have a lot of recommendations in the small area plans, which only focus on the activity centers, which look at things like how streets get connected, where open space can best serve the community

Anthony ColemanI think most of you guys know that density doesn't scare me, height generally doesn't scare me either. I love how the market generally dictates it. And I think Dr. Rice put it very well that if we were to go down this rabbit hole, and I think it is a rabbit hole, then we have the potential to make our activity centers and our small area plans almost obsolete. It's like, what was the point? And I think it is important to make sure that we do want to focus that concentration and that redevelopment to those activity centers, to those small area plans, because they were chosen for a reason. There was a reason we went through those exercises. There's a reason those places have a vision. And I think that's the one thing that we need to consider is we are stewards

of the comprehensive plan. That is, we are a forward-thinking body. And if we are thinking more short-term, oh, what's good for this landowner, then we're almost going against the grain of our own charge so I kind of agree that we don't really need to change it there's no real pressing force that says hey this is a good idea the language is not in our favor we've done all this work on small area plans activity centers and it's kind of it would almost be yeah just throw it away so I'm I am very much in favor of just letting it, kind of taking the staff recommendation, and we don't need to do anything with it.

James Feathertheir seven, they'd take it all the way to as far back in the property as they can. What's there today? A two-story parking deck well below the sight line from the community. That's kind of a good transition. Mr. Cunningham pointed out the current building that is five stories set far enough back from the road, five stories set far enough back from the residential community, works. It makes sense. It's not intrusive. So we'd have to be very careful about what our criteria are. To that end, if we were to ever contemplate doing this, and I actually don't support moving forward at this point. I'd like to work in parallel, which we failed to do with the small area plans, work in parallel whatever zoning changes we may need

Naptystafffor the Planning Commission the April 14 meeting will likely be canceled this is your next meeting myself and chair feather will both be not able to attend if anything comes up that is an emergency we will have the meeting we we'll have other people phone in for us. And then as of now, the Planning Commission is scheduled to receive an update on the potential zoning ordinance amendments related to small area plans on May 12th. We're looking to have a combination or a series of meetings on May 12th with the Planning Commission, May 13th with City Council, and then a general public meeting on May 14th on that project that's up in the air now as we're still trying to confirm our date with city council.