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Staff outlines goals for Downtown Livability 2: modest code tweaks to boost evening activity and small businesses
Summary
City staff briefed the Planning Commission on the Downtown Livability 2 scope on May 27, proposing targeted edits (no major height changes) to improve evening/weekend vitality, recalibrate ground-floor active-use requirements and better support small businesses and the Grand Connection.
City planning staff presented the scope and schedule for Downtown Livability 2 at the Planning Commission’s May 27 study session, describing the effort as a targeted package of code tweaks rather than a wholesale rewrite.
Nick Whipple, code and policy director, and Matthew Menard, senior planner, told the commission the update will prioritize evening and weekend vitality, recalibrate the amenity incentive program to make ground-floor active spaces more leasable for small businesses, and ensure no code conflicts with the Grand Connection pedestrian corridor. Menard cited growth since 2017 as context: “about 3,500 new residents… about 2,200 new homes, 6,000,000 square feet of new office space,” and staff said those changes warrant focused adjustments to ensure the downtown remains livable as it grows.
Staff stressed that Downtown Livability 2 is not expected to change building heights; instead the project will refine ground-floor and pedestrian standards, reduce the number of administrative ‘departures’ that have become routine, strengthen incentives for affordable commercial space, and explore ways to program public plazas for events and retail activation. The presentation also mentioned outreach plans: a hybrid kickoff in early June, in‑person tabling events through summer, broader stakeholder engagement, and a return to the commission with draft language in the fall.
Commissioners generally welcomed the scope and emphasized small‑business support. One commissioner suggested piloting pedestrianizing Main Street for evenings to test the public‑realm benefits; another asked specifically about bicycle connectivity and whether transportation code updates would be needed. Staff said major transportation changes are out of this LUCA’s scope but that pedestrian realm improvements (seating, trees and plaza programming) will be considered.
Next steps: staff plans summer outreach and a fall return with draft code changes; the commission requested staff return with comparisons to items postponed from the earlier HOMA process and to provide clear performance measures for amenity incentives and active‑use expectations.
Ending: This was an information‑only presentation; no action was taken. Staff will follow up with additional public engagement and a draft for commission review later in the year.
