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Commission approves expansion of Downtown Mixed‑Use district; staff to review adding Pine Street
Summary
Planning staff won commission approval to expand the Downtown Mixed‑Use Future Land Use District from about 27 acres to just under 100 acres and to adopt a small text change; commissioners asked staff to evaluate whether Pine Street should be included and return with a recommendation by the next meeting.
The Planning & Zoning Commission voted to recommend approval of a large‑scale comprehensive plan map amendment (LSCP24211) to expand the Downtown Mixed‑Use Future Land Use District and a related text amendment (CPTA24347) that makes minor wording changes intended to encourage compatible "live‑work‑play" development in Leesburg’s historic core.
Dan Miller, planning director, told the commission staff is proposing to broaden the Downtown Mixed‑Use district from approximately 27 acres to just under 100 acres to allow incremental infill development such as townhomes along the Magnolia Trail and to support downtown economic activity. Miller said the text change replaces the phrase “living quarters” with “living spaces” and adds language to require compatibility with the existing downtown fabric.
"What we're trying to do in this case is to encourage the economic growth and overall engagement of citizens with the central downtown in a live, work, play framework," Miller said.
Commissioners discussed boundaries and potential unintended effects. Several members asked whether Pine Street — an area with its own commercial zoning and existing redevelopment initiatives including CRA work and a federal consent decree history — should be included. Commissioners and staff did not reach a final determination on Pine Street during the meeting; the commission directed staff to compare existing Pine Street regulations with the proposed downtown mixed‑use classification and to return with a recommendation for whether and how to incorporate Pine Street, targeting the next scheduled meeting for follow‑up.
The commission then approved both the map and text amendments by roll call and forwarded the recommendations to the City Commission. Staff stressed the change is intended to allow compatible infill over time and said it does not immediately alter existing zoning; property owners’ current zoning rights remain in effect until any rezoning proceeding.
