Council reviews draft Uptown zoning ordinance that would limit drive‑throughs and set restaurant rules

Council members reviewed a draft Uptown zoning ordinance intended to guide development in Centreville's historic Uptown district and agreed to take the proposal to the zoning board after staff refinements.

A presenter (S7) described the draft as a targeted supplement to the city's existing zoning ordinance that would apply only to Uptown Centreville. The draft includes an exhibit map and would permit residential uses on second and third floors, require a minimum six‑month lease for certain units, and allow multifamily units by right while reserving four‑bedroom units for special permission.

The draft would cap building height at 74 feet to avoid high‑rise classification, and it would prohibit heavy industrial uses and drive‑through facilities in the Uptown district; existing drive‑throughs as of April 1, 2025, would be grandfathered. For restaurants that sell alcohol, the ordinance would require applicable permits and that at least 51% of gross revenue be derived from food sales, a measure the presenter described as intended to ensure establishments function primarily as restaurants rather than bars.

S7 said the draft draws on model language used in other towns and on guidance from Main Street programs, and asked council members to review the exhibit map and provide comments before the item is forwarded to the zoning board. The presenter also noted a grandfather clause and called out specific commercial uses (hotels, bed‑and‑breakfasts, short‑term rentals) with limits: a bed‑and‑breakfast must be the owner's primary residence and short‑term rentals would have a 90‑day maximum stay.

Council members did not vote on the ordinance at the meeting; staff (Mitch/S8) will review the draft and schedule a zoning‑board hearing once the council's edits are incorporated.