Downtown Action Committee approves 11,000 sq ft TDR transfer for 400 Hibiscus Street

The Downtown Action Committee voted July 8 to approve Transfer of Development Rights case TDR 26003, allowing 11,000 square feet of development rights to transfer to a receiving site at 400 Hibiscus Street.

Lauren Thomas of Touchstone Webb presented the application on behalf of 400 Hibiscus LLC and Mila Spierko, stating the sending site held 13,030 sq ft of TDRs and the applicant proposed transferring 11,000 sq ft while retaining 2,030 sq ft on the sending property. City staff reviewed the application and recommended approval, finding it met the standards in Article 4 of the downtown plan and section 94-13-2 of the city's zoning and land-development regulations.

Public comment and staff clarification: Several residents attending the hearing raised concerns that they had not received project notices when the original approval for the development had advanced; staff clarified that today's item concerned TDR eligibility and the transfer mechanism and that the underlying project had not yet been presented for project-level approval, which would trigger mailings to owners within a 500-foot radius and a separate public hearing.

Vote and motion: A committee member moved to approve the transfer (text of motion recorded in meeting minutes); the chair seconded and the motion carried with the committee voting in favor. Staff records indicate the approval was based on the findings in the staff report dated July 8, 2026.

What this means: The committee's action clears the way for the receiving parcel at 400 Hibiscus Street to acquire additional development capacity via the TDR program; any subsequent project-level approvals that seek height or density incentives will still require separate review and public notice. The committee deferred other downtown master-plan-related cases to September to allow the city to develop its resident-partnership engagement process.