Staff outlines preliminary rewrite of zoning code and proposed Old Town boundary changes

At the July 28 Landmarks Commission meeting planning staff gave an update on the city’s zoning code rewrite and a proposed refinement of Old Town zoning boundaries. Staff said the zoning‑code steering committee is slightly behind schedule and that the next round of substantive work on module 1 will likely be delayed 5–6 weeks, moving earlier projected milestones into the fall. Staff described a preliminary approach to Old Town that would reduce three current districts (Old Town Single‑Family, Old Town Multifamily and Old Town Commercial) to two tentative districts labeled Old Town Mixed Use and Old Town Residential. The intent is to simplify district categories while preserving flexibility where the city wants higher intensity and creating a gentler transition where lesser intensity is appropriate. Staff also said they are considering modest expansion of the Old Town boundary to include strategic parcels for future redevelopment, including the former Anderson concrete plant site and adjacent parcels that now sit outside the Old Town line. Staff said Old Town is currently bounded on the north/west by the railroad tracks and the proposed changes would extend the designation east along Waterloo to the corporate limits in selected areas. Staff characterized the proposed adjustments as preliminary, subject to further work with consultants and the steering committee. The steering committee’s schedule will be updated and further public discussion is expected as module work is delivered in coming months.