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Council delays downtown development district amendment to allow more review and community engagement
Summary
Councilmembers held over Ordinance 64025, which would shift some Downtown Development District (DDD) approvals from the CRC committee to an administrative plan-review process, after Q&A about committee composition, recusals, and a request for additional sponsor/admin amendments.
Council members on Tuesday put off a decision on Ordinance 64025, a proposed amendment to the downtown Unified Development Code that would move certain DDD project approvals from the CRC (Consolidated REC Review Committee) to the city’s administrative plan-review process.
Administrative staff explained the CRC is currently a mayor-appointed committee primarily composed of city staff and that it handled more than 60 applications last year. Staff said shifting review into the plan-review process would speed processing, reduce recusals by external appointees who are practicing architects, and keep the CRC’s limited scope "as a part of that plan review process." Staff also said any substantial code rewrite would include a 9–12 month community engagement process.
Council sponsors asked for one more week to collect requested amendments and additional fee/permit detail; the item was held over for one week so staff and sponsors can provide clarified amendments and permit-quantity data.
Why it matters: The change would alter who reviews downtown projects and could affect timeline certainty for applicants, the potential for conflicts of interest from external appointees, and the public-engagement path for major code updates.
