Planning board presents permanent Neighborhoods, Centers and Hubs code; council schedules public hearing July 22

The Planning Board presented a recommended permanent Neighborhoods, Centers and Hubs (NCH) code to the Committee of the Whole, proposing new design standards, ground-floor commercial overlays, open-space and amenity-space requirements, and a limited program for bonus floor area in return for defined community benefits. The committee scheduled a public hearing on the draft for July 22 and set an adoption target for Aug. 12.

Planning staff and board members said the permanent ordinance replaces an interim zoning rule that came into force during the comp-plan update. Navushya (staff) and Planning Board Chair Lee Hankins explained the approach: orient commercial overlays where street-facing ground-floor retail supports walkability, require a 15% minimum open space on lots, require private amenity space equal to 5% of residential floor area, and require at least 10% of a building footprint as public amenity space for qualifying sites. The planning board recommended a seven-foot street setback with build-to expectations and zero or 10-foot side/rear setbacks where adjacent to low-density residential (LDR) zones; the board also…