Planning board backs expanding office‑to‑other‑use conversions in downtown subareas D and G

On June 5 the Planning & Zoning Board voted unanimously to advance a text amendment that would change Ordinance 4035 — the downtown Development of Regional Impact (DRI) development order — to allow conversion of up to 90% of the original office allocation in downtown subareas D and G by conversion only (up from the current 50% limit).

Arlene Chees Nelson, a DDI planning analyst, told the board the DDRI initially allocated office equivalent (OE) square footage across seven subareas when the downtown plan was adopted. Under the existing rules each subarea may convert or transfer up to 50% of its office allocation; subarea E previously obtained a 90% allowance. The proposed text amendment would give subareas D and G the same flexibility, enabling developers to convert office‑allocated OE to other uses in those subareas and respond to market demand.

Petitioner counsel Ellie Zacharitis said the change is a targeted measure to avoid a de facto moratorium: with projects already approved in the pipeline (meisner and Modera cited by counsel), staff figures show remaining conversion capacity would otherwise be small and development opportunities could dry up. John Donaldson, the traffic expert who attended, was asked about traffic impacts and said residential conversions would likely reduce AM/PM peak directional imbalances compared with office uses.

Board members expressed support for the amendment. The measure does not mandate conversions; it gives property owners the option to convert office allocations to other uses. If ultimately approved by the city council and CRA, staff estimated the change would free up capacity equivalent to roughly 1,000 residential units or 144,000 square feet of other uses across the two subareas, while preserving a portion of office allocation for the downtown.