Design Commission recommends amended downtown density-bonus urban design standards to Planning Commission

The Design Commission voted to recommend the alternate draft of the downtown density‑bonus phase 1 urban design standards to the Planning Commission after adopting three amendments intended to clarify frontage designations, encourage active ground‑floor uses and expand acceptable second‑story treatments.

The commission’s motion, made by Commissioner Richard Howard and seconded (recorded as by Commissioner Whitstrup), passed by voice vote. The commission directed staff to forward the amended draft to the Planning Commission and asked that a representative from the urban design guideline working group keep the Design Commission updated on coordination with the Planning Commission.

Howard told the commission the staff draft’s use of the subchapter d definition of “Principal Street” relies on a transportation hierarchy that “does not align to the pedestrian priority street, which is the street that we actually want the higher level standards on,” and proposed a new "Frontage designations" paragraph to define Primary Street, Side Street and a street‑priority list tied to the downtown density bonus boundary. He read…