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Council committee proposes replacing Old Village Review Board with broader advisory commission
Summary
The Community Affairs/Administration committee recommended disbanding the Old Village Review Board and creating a new advisory commission to prepare and advocate for downtown property and business owners; council discussed scope, authority and relationship to planning.
Councilman Havens summarized a March 4 Community Affairs/Administration committee recommendation to disband the Old Village Review Board and replace it with a body that has a broader advocacy and preparatory role for the Old Village (downtown) area.
Havens said the proposed group would help business owners and residents prepare applications and understand the zoning and planning process rather than acting with quasi‑judicial approval authority. "More of, rather than tell them no, go away... Acknowledge there's a baby, and talk about how to present that baby to the planning board," Havens said, describing an advocacy‑oriented mission. Council and staff clarified the new body would answer to city council, act on an as‑needed basis, and would not provide legal or substantive zoning advice.
Councilors asked whether the commission would duplicate planning staff work, where it would sit in the municipal structure, and whether filling members could be a challenge. The city manager and planning staff said the body would function as a recommending, not decision‑making, board and would make referrals to the planning board or BZA when formal decisions were required. No formal ordinance or appointment occurred at the meeting; council directed staff to bring further details forward in coming weeks.
