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Committee debates Walton School reuse, approves expanding mixed‑use designation around the site
Summary
Members debated whether to change the Walton School parcel from compact residential to mixed‑use neighborhood to preserve options for reuse if the school is decommissioned; after a lengthy discussion about spot‑zoning and preserving open space, the committee approved expanding the mixed‑use designation with a majority vote.
The Auburn Planning Committee spent a substantial portion of Tuesday’s meeting debating the fate of Walton School’s land‑use designation, ultimately voting to change the parcel to a 'mixed‑use neighborhood' designation and to expand the mapped area around the school to create greater flexibility for future reuse.
Why it mattered: several committee members and staff said the change is intended to preserve redevelopment options for the existing school building and its open space in case the school department relinquishes it; others warned the change could appear to be spot zoning and urged clear policy language and protections to avoid unintended results.
Discussion and positions - Supporters, including members who live near the site, said the mixed‑use designation would allow the city and potential developers to explore options that preserve the building and adjacent open space while providing potential housing or community amenities. One proponent said the designation helps avoid forcing demolition of a large existing structure purely to achieve conformity with a compact‑residential description. - Opponents, notably Bruce Ryu, warned the parcel shift could look like 'spot zoning' and suggested it might appear motivated to increase the resale value of a property if the school is sold. Bruce said, "It looks like a ploy to increase the value of the property should the school sell," and urged caution and clearer policy guardrails. - Several members proposed crafting policy language in the comprehensive plan to state a preference that city‑owned school buildings with historic or community value be considered first for reuse and adaptive reuse (subject to structural feasibility), and that staff draft suggested language for committee review to avoid precluding the school facilities committee’s responsibilities.
Vote and outcome After debate and amendments, the committee voted to expand the mixed‑use designation in the Walton area; the chair reported the motion passed with a strong majority and two members opposed (transcript indicates "all but two are in favor"). Members asked staff to produce policy language clarifying the committee’s intent for decommissioned school sites, to avoid the perception of spot zoning and to preserve options for community‑oriented reuse where feasible.
Provenance: Walton School discussion begins at SEG 1742 and continues through the motion and vote around SEG 2458–2466.
Next steps: staff will draft policy language for how decommissioned school properties should be handled (preservation/reuse preference, overlay options or zoning guidance) and include that language in the policies packet for committee review at upcoming meetings.
