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Task force flags building height, mass and open-space standards in Resort Development district
Summary
Members pressed staff to reassess development standards for the Resort Development (RD) district — including density, gross floor area and height allowances — saying current rules risk overbuilding and may need a scalpel-like approach to protect island character; others cautioned about redevelopment economics and tourism revenue impacts.
Staff reviewed the Resort Development (RD) district standards, reminding the task force that the district was intended to serve resort accommodation and associated commercial services, with numeric limits including densities up to 16 dwelling units per acre and nonresidential limits of about 8,000 sq. ft. per acre.
Several task force members, including a long-serving design reviewer, urged a closer look at height and massing limits and recommended tightening building-scale controls to better preserve tree lines and the island’s pedestrian-scale character. One member recalled prior tall developments under the 2014 standards and described efforts by the design review board to raise concerns about mass and overbuild.
Other members cautioned that substantially lowering height or gross floor area allowances could reduce redevelopment feasibility and harm the local tax base that supports island services; they urged a careful economic analysis before making sweeping changes. Staff said the intent is to assess whether permitted uses, intensity and dimensional standards align with district purpose and location and to recommend targeted edits to uses and development-form standards.
The task force asked staff to identify specific uses that are currently permitted with conditions, illustrate how conditions are applied (for example parking or proximity limits for certain commercial uses), and propose design-based measures — not just numeric caps — that preserve island character while allowing viable redevelopment.
Next steps: staff to return with refined options on height, massing, open-space and use conditions for the RD district and examples of how proposed edits would affect existing properties.
