Task force weighs resort‑district standards and building height limits

Task force members reviewed the Resort Development (RD) district on March 26, focusing on allowed uses, density and building heights and the implications for island character and tourism economy.

Staff (speaker 11) summarized RD standards: common open space, density figures for multifamily/time share and hotels, impervious coverage and height limits (examples discussed included densities up to 16 dwelling units per acre for some forms and varied height limits—60 to 75 feet depending on location). The presentation noted many RD parcels are already developed and that the district accommodates visitor‑oriented uses.

Members and stakeholders urged a careful approach. One member who has tracked past changes described visiting the Folly Field/South Forest Beach area and finding "massive scale of buildings" that exceeded the tree line and argued for tighter height or massing controls to preserve island character (speaker 5). Other members warned that lowering heights indiscriminately could discourage redevelopment and erode the island’s tourism tax base; "That is the economic engine of this island," one member said (speaker 18), noting tourism funds beaches and services.

Several members advocated for targeted, design‑focused fixes—stronger public edge and massing controls, revised open‑space metrics and clearer conversion rules—rather than across‑the‑board height reductions. Staff said the task force should flag which uses or standards need attention and submit focused feedback so staff and code writers can craft surgical (not wholesale) amendments.

Next steps: staff will collect specific use and standard recommendations from the task force, return with relevant code citations and examples of where standards should change or be clarified, and schedule further discussion at upcoming meetings.