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Council adopts broad downtown UDO changes to add arts, brewery and small-scale production uses
Summary
Suffolk City Council unanimously approved Unified Development Ordinance text amendments to define and permit arts and cultural uses—including microbreweries, distilleries, artisan workshops, theaters, sound studios and business incubators—across downtown and several commercial and industrial districts.
Suffolk City Council on June 17 approved a large package of Unified Development Ordinance text amendments aimed at encouraging creative and mixed-use development in the city’s downtown influence area.
Planning Director Kevin Weine summarized changes that define and add new uses — microbreweries, micro-distilleries, micro-wineries, artisan workshops, motion picture and video production, theaters, sound recording studios, research and development offices, and business incubator space — and set where each use would be permitted as-of-right or require a conditional use permit. The amendments also clarify when live entertainment after 10 p.m. is allowed via CUP.
Weine said staff and the downtown advisory committee worked together to align the changes with the goals of the 2045 comprehensive plan and the downtown master plan. The planning commission reviewed the amendments and forwarded them to council with a unanimous 7–0 recommendation.
Council members praised the committee and staff for the work and voted 7–0 to adopt the amendments.
The changes aim to broaden opportunities for small-scale manufacturing, creative enterprises and evening activity while using conditional use permits to manage more intensive impacts in sensitive districts.
