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Council adopts Elevate Downtown plan to guide next decade of downtown growth, with conditions on form‑based code work
Summary
The council approved the Elevate Downtown plan, updating the 2016 master plan and DDA plan of development. The plan sets goals for density, public realm, mobility, small‑business support and a targeted effort to attract a downtown grocery; council members praised engagement but asked for further detail on form‑based code and skyline implications.
The City Council voted 8–1 on May 28 to adopt the Elevate Downtown plan, an update to the city’s 2016 downtown master plan and a plan of development for the Downtown Development Authority. The plan lays out goals and policy guidance for downtown density, economic vitality, parks and trails, mobility, public realm and a new emphasis on housing and homelessness.
Downtown Partnership CEO Chelsea Gondek said the plan is the product of more than a year of community engagement, including public surveys, pop‑ups, and focus groups. ‘‘We believe this plan will set us up for success for the next decade and well beyond,’’ Gondek said.
Mark Del Torre, principal at MIG (the plan consultant), summarized revisions since the prior draft and noted new emphasis areas: an economic vitality chapter focused on small‑business supports and strategies to recruit missing services (notably a grocery); infrastructure and utilities guidance to plan for EV charging and fiber; mobility priorities including a sidewalk gap analysis and safety improvements at high‑crash intersections; and a new chapter on community and culture that addresses public art, events, and homelessness interventions including public restrooms and coordinated service responses.
Council members expressed both support and caution. Several members praised the plan’s vision and the Downtown Partnership’s community outreach; others asked for more specificity around future form‑based code changes and height/density implications, with several urging staff to return with refined code language before any broad expansion of form‑based zoning. ‘‘We do have an iconic skyline now — we should be deliberate and thoughtful about how that evolves,’’ one council member said.
Public testimony was strongly supportive from business groups, developers and downtown advocates; neighborhood groups thanked staff for engagement and asked for continued dialogue on form‑based code and district identities. The council adopted both the DDA’s plan of development (Volume 1) and the downtown plan (Volume 2) by separate motions; both passed 8–1.
Staff said the plan will guide future implementation actions, including refinement of the form‑based code, identification of catalytic sites, and coordination across utilities and the DDA for infrastructure priorities. Adoption does not by itself change zoning; zoning and development approvals will continue to be processed under existing codes until any future code amendments are formally adopted.
