Planning board backs Tub Street–Oakland Avenue overlay to remake downtown core, members press parking study

The Town of Oakland Planning & Zoning Board on May 9 recommended that the town commission transmit a Comprehensive Plan amendment establishing a Tub Street–Oakland Avenue Main Street overlay designed to reshape the corridor into a human-scaled downtown with wider sidewalks, shade trees, plazas and active ground-floor uses.

Consultant Katie (presenter) described the vision as a "living room for the town," proposing three character districts (Gateway, Heritage/Canopy and Core) and a set of urban-design changes including converting many diagonal pull-in spaces to parallel parking for a continuous pedestrian realm, brick paving in the core, and a series of public plazas and pocket parks. She said the overlay would allow greater density or intensity than the underlying future land use in exchange for public improvements, and identified incentives such as density bonuses, infrastructure investments and workforce-housing commitments as qualifying measures.

Architectural-review-board feedback and staff revisions reduced the previously-discussed maximum height in the Gateway District near State Road 50 from five stories to four; staff recommended four stories along State Road 50 to Ryan Court, then three stories from Ryan Court to Sadler Avenue, and two stories within the Canopy District. Katie said upper floors could accommodate apartments, condominiums, offices, studios or other uses depending on private owners and code allowances.

Board members and several residents pressed the consultant and staff on parking and access. One speaker said parallel on-street parking provides limited capacity compared with diagonal stalls and questioned whether the parallel plan would generate sufficient customer parking to support multiple downtown businesses. The consultant replied that required on-site parking remains and on-street spaces would be additional; the vision also includes trail connections to the West Orange Trail and proposed gateway signage to attract visitors from State Road 50.

A motion recommending approval of the overlay amendment with the revised height guidance passed. The board's recommendation will proceed to the town commission for a transmittal hearing; the board specifically asked the commission to evaluate parking necessity and availability as part of the commission review and future land-development-code implementation steps.