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Planning board, staff press forward on neighborhood centers and hubs code; walking tours informed design options
Summary
City planning staff updated the committee on progress to develop neighborhood‑centers and hubs regulations. Staff and the planning board conducted walking tours and an online open house, and are moving toward form‑based code options and site‑specific distinctions for each center; schedule targets council action in July.
Planning staff briefed the committee on the Neighborhood Centers and Hubs code update, describing outreach that has included an online open house, multiple walking tours, and early planning‑board engagement.
Staff and the planning board emphasized that not all centers and hubs are alike: topography, existing sidewalks, private easements and the presence of single‑family frontage vary by location and will inform tailored code approaches. The update description included design ideas such as building frontages oriented to sidewalks, ground‑floor activation where commercial uses are expected, five‑foot planter buffers to separate raised bike lanes from sidewalks, and pedestrian connections to transit and schools. Staff noted a small placemaking committee working with property owners and residents to develop streetscape elements.
The planning board recommended a form‑based approach that focuses on building placement, active ground‑floor design, stepbacks near single‑family zones, and differentiated standards for hubs that are primarily commercial versus those that are less feasible for commercial development. Staff said they will present further refined code options and a public hearing in May, with the council review and final action slated for July 8 (the presentation noted the interim ordinance remains in place while the permanent code is developed).
Ending: The committee received the update and staff will return with draft code language informed by the walks, open house and planning‑board direction. No committee vote was requested.
