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Board pauses Highway 5 corridor overlay after developers and landowners raise concerns
Summary
Planning staff presented a proposal to reapply a Highway 5 corridor overlay with expanded setbacks and design standards. A nearby developer and other property owners said a 25‑to‑50‑foot front setback would eliminate buildable area; the board voted to continue the hearing to January to allow more outreach and staff revisions.
Planning staff presented a text amendment Dec. 8 to reapply a Highway 5 corridor overlay intended to improve the appearance and function of the highway corridor by imposing a 300‑foot overlay and new setback and screening standards.
The proposal would, among other changes, increase certain building and parking setbacks from 25 feet to 50 feet from the highway right‑of‑way and encourage cross‑access to reduce direct curb cuts. Staff said the overlay would apply at the time a property proposes new development or redevelopment and would not retroactively force changes on existing buildings that are not altered.
“This is an attempt to sort of bring back that corridor overlay, to fill in the gap,” planning staff said during the presentation, noting the planning board unanimously recommended approval in October.
At public comment, developer Mr. Vincent (speaker 10) said the change came as a surprise to many affected owners and that increasing the front setback by 25 feet would take buildable ground off small parcels. “If you take that front building setback to 50, you’ve effectively taken an additional 25 feet in the property… That 25 feet is a big deal,” Vincent said, warning the setback could make common prototypes and parking layouts unworkable and could force buildings and parking to be shifted rearward.
Planning staff responded that the town followed statutory notice options for large numbers of parcels, posted signage and mailed to property owners outside the paper’s circulation area. Staff also said the change would be applied case‑by‑case and that they were willing to work with landowners as projects come forward.
After discussion and several commissioners urging additional outreach, Commissioner (speaker 2) moved to suspend the public hearing and reschedule the Highway 5 overlay item to the board’s January general meeting to give staff time to meet with affected landowners. The motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.
What’s next: staff will meet with property owners and return to the board in January with any proposed amendments or additional materials; the public hearing will remain open until that next meeting.
