Sherwood planning commission reviews Old Town strategic action plan, prioritizes wayfinding, parking and redevelopment

The City of Sherwood Planning Commission spent its Dec. 9 work session reviewing a draft Old Town strategic action plan that lays out near‑term priorities for making the downtown more discoverable and economically viable.

Councilor Giles, speaking for the council, framed the plan as a tool to guide city and private investment without creating new zoning obligations. "It's illegal for us as a as a city to say, we want this particular business to open up a store here, and we don't want anybody else," Giles said, arguing the city must rely on incentives rather than mandates to shape the commercial mix. He and staff described possible incentives including fee relief — "we will waive a certain percentage of SDCs" — and façade or grant programs to attract restaurants, arts businesses and other discoverable retail.

The dr…