Commission approves first reading for Oakland Exchange office park amendment amid traffic, design and tree protections

The Town of Oakland commission on Nov. 12 approved the first public reading of Ordinance 2024-10, a second amendment to the development agreement for the Oakland Commercial Center Planned Development that would allow the Oakland Exchange office park on Lots 5 and 6. The approval carries conditions: the commission asked for an additional traffic study, required enhanced screening around dumpster enclosures and did not approve enlarging a monument sign.

Sarah Matheson, the town-planner contractor with Wade Trim, told the commission the amendment would increase allowable office square footage from 30,000 to about 37,184 square feet (an additional ~7,184 sq ft), revise the site from roughly four larger buildings to about 12 smaller, one-story buildings, remove the landscape buffer between the two lots, reduce an internal sidewalk from 6 feet to…