Council hears introduction of Park/Jersey Street overlay to guide downtown development

Kevin Todd of the Community Development Department introduced an amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to establish a Park and Jersey Street Overlay District covering the area west of Grand Junction Plaza, bounded roughly by Jersey Street to the north, Midland Trace Trail to the south, Poplar Street to the west and Mill Street to the east. Todd said the overlay is intended to protect the downtown's walkable, cultural and dining character. The proposed overlay would prioritize sit-down restaurants (including outdoor seating and walk-up windows) while prohibiting drive-through facilities, limit certain retail types, and set minimum and maximum lot and building sizes to maintain the area's scale. Adaptive reuse of existing buildings would be encouraged and, where new construction is necessary, architectural standards in the ordinance would aim to keep new development compatible with Park Street's existing character. Why it matters: The overlay is designed to preserve the pedestrian-oriented, dining and shopping atmosphere the city seeks for its downtown and to provide clear design and use rules for new development. Todd said several existing PUD parcels within the boundaries were exempted to avoid altering recently approved projects. Process: Todd said the ordinance is introduced for first reading and scheduled for a Plan Commission public hearing on Sept. 2; the council will consider adoption at a future meeting after the public hearing and any Plan Commission recommendation.