Commission considers retail allowances and 0-foot storefront setback on Commercial Avenue to preserve block character

Planning staff presented amendments intended to preserve the ground-floor character of a specific block on Commercial Avenue while allowing the property owner and Port of Anacortes flexibility for redevelopment. The draft change would permit retail uses up to 6,000 square feet on the ground floor in the Marine Mixed Use (MS) zone for parcels on Commercial Avenue south of Second Street, and would apply a storefront-block frontage standard that can reduce the existing 10-foot setback to 0 feet on that frontage. Staff said the amendments are narrowly targeted to maintain downtown form and pedestrian orientation if the Marine Supply building or adjacent parcels redevelop.

Commissioners discussed the relationship between these code edits and a separate proposal to rezone the Lisonbee (Olson) Building parcel from MS to Central Business District (CBD) to support affordable housing development. Commissioners noted ownership differences — the Port owns the Marine Supply building parcel — and emphasized the desire to maintain the “look and feel” of the block. Commissioner Currier and others said they favored preserving the existing character and applying storefront-block standards and design restraints on any future redevelopment; several commissioners asked staff to return with the applicable design standards to ensure the desired appearance would be achieved, not only the setback change. Staff said the CBD zone has additional design standards and noted the proposed retail-permitted change would apply only to the specified storefront frontage.