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Council favors a parks overlay on zoning map, asks staff for ordinance details
Summary
Staff presented three options to represent parkland in the Unified Development Code (status quo, overlay district, or new park zoning). After debate about costs and flexibility, council directed staff to pursue an overlay (option 2) and return with detailed draft language and timeline.
Addison staff briefed council on potential amendments to the Unified Development Code to address a missing parks designation on the online zoning map. Leslie Knight summarized three staff options: keep the status quo but add map symbology; create an overlay district to apply park‑specific standards on top of existing base zoning; or create a distinct park zoning district with its own uses and development standards.
Staff noted that parks are already protected in many cases by state parkland law and the town charter and that creating a new park zoning district could increase administrative burden and cause nonconformity issues when standards are stricter than existing conditions. An overlay was presented as a middle ground that would allow additional standards and map visibility while retaining underlying zoning flexibility.
Council members debated tradeoffs: several favored the overlay for lower administrative cost and flexibility, while others preferred a distinct park district to provide clarity for future buyers and maximum protection. After discussion the mayor signaled willingness to accept option 2 and asked staff to return with a timeline and draft ordinance language for public hearings and implementation steps.
Staff will prepare needed legal notices, public hearings, and outreach; council and staff flagged potential staff and consultant costs if the project moved to option 3.
