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Committee forwards Old Town Neighborhood Design District amendment after wide discussion on parking, preservation and opportunity sites
Summary
The committee voted to forward a comprehensive‑plan amendment adopting an Old Town Neighborhood Design District (NDD) that aims to preserve historic character, guide gateway redevelopment and improve pedestrian/bike circulation; members debated parking tradeoffs, incentives for rehabilitating historic buildings and whether senior housing concepts raised at the meeting should be called out explicitly in the plan.
The committee reviewed and voted to forward to City Council an amendment to the 2022 comprehensive plan to add the Old Town Neighborhood Design District (NDD). Staff described the NDD as an aspirational planning framework that divides Old Town into character districts, identifies gateway and opportunity sites, and suggests public‑realm improvements (streetscape, green/blue infrastructure and phased implementation) to encourage compatible redevelopment while preserving historic character.
The presentation emphasized that the NDD is meant as guidance and inspiration rather than prescriptive engineering drawings. Staff and the advisory committee recommended phasing, encouraged mixed‑use redevelopment at gateway sites and suggested tools (TIF financing and coordination with the EDA) to help with rehabilitation of older buildings. The plan also highlights the Town Run corridor for potential naturalization and improved recreational access.
Committee members supported the overall vision but raised two recurring concerns: parking and how the NDD treats existing, large institutional sites. Several members pressed for a parking analysis tied to the NDD’s redevelopment concepts (including potential structured parking at key southern gateway sites); others urged the plan to better accommodate senior housing options at certain opportunity sites. Property owners and public commenters attended and disputed some illustrative concepts, noting that the NDD is aspirational and that specific site proposals would still require conditional use or other approvals under existing zoning.
The committee voted to forward the comprehensive‑plan amendment with a recommendation for approval; Council will consider zoning implementation steps and follow‑on ordinance language.
