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Planning staff outlines master plan RFP, parking and EV charging proposals, and sign‑regulation audit
Summary
City planning staff told the board they will circulate a draft RFP for the master plan update at the November meeting and are preparing zoning/site‑plan changes to consolidate parking design standards in site‑plan review, introduce conditional use relief for parking, and begin modest EV‑charging and bicycle‑parking requirements for larger developments.
Planning staff briefed the Concord Planning Board on near‑term policy work and asked whether the board wished to review the master plan RFP before it is released. The board requested the RFP be provided for the November meeting.
Staff described a package of zoning and site‑plan changes they are considering: preserve parking quantities in the zoning ordinance but move dimensional and design standards (space size, drive‑aisle widths, landscaping) into site‑plan review so the Planning Board can grant conditional relief through a conditional use permit. The intent is to give the Planning Board a ‘relief valve’ for design‑related departures without forcing applicants to go to the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Staff said this could make reviews more holistic and efficient and reduce variance requests.
Staff also proposed modest, incremental rules for electric‑vehicle charging stations (initially targeting Level‑1 equipment for large parking lots, with a design standard escalation for Level‑2/Level‑3), bicycle‑parking requirements and a sign‑regulation audit to identify recurring variance themes. Board members discussed practical constraints (transformer availability, utility capacity, charger siting and who pays for equipment), and suggested starting with large, 50+ space parking lots and adding covered bike parking for larger multifamily developments.
Staff noted they are also reviewing floodplain ordinance updates to reflect recent FEMA map changes and will coordinate with the board as that process advances.
