An ordinance to permit residential uses on ground floors in the Central Business District as a conditional use was presented to the assembly on June 17 as an implementation step for the borough’s downtown plan.

Callan Spellman of the Community Planning Department explained the change would remove the existing absolute prohibition on ground‑floor residences in the Central Business District and make such uses eligible for a conditional use permit. The planning commission unanimously recommended approval at a May 27 public hearing, and the Downtown Association expressed support at an April meeting, staff said.

Spellman said the ordinance aligns zoning with the downtown comprehensive plan’s new future land‑use designations: an urban core intended for high‑density residential development and a mixed‑use preferred residential zone intended as a buffer between dense commercial areas and adjacent neighborhoods. Under the proposal, highly commercial parcels in the urban core that are expected to meet a minimum density would still be judged against the comprehensive plan, while locations designated mixed‑use preferred residential would be strong candidates for a conditional use allowing multi‑unit residential buildings with ground‑floor units.

Spellman gave two illustrative examples: a parking lot on Third Avenue in the urban core, which staff would likely discourage from converting to single‑family residential because the comprehensive plan favors higher densities there; and a property at Noble Street and Eighth Avenue in the mixed‑use preferred residential area, where staff said a multi‑unit building with ground‑floor residential would be a likely candidate for approval through the conditional use process.

The presenter emphasized that conditional use permits continue to require public notice and planning commission review; building permits and city building‑inspection requirements remain in force and are separate from zoning approvals. The assembly did not vote on the ordinance at the meeting; it was presented for discussion and referral to the regular ordinance process.