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Planning panel agrees sidewalks, screening should be required in downtown overlay; tree rules deferred
Summary
The Planning Commission endorsed sidewalk and landscape-screening requirements for new downtown commercial development, discussed tree-planting feasibility in paved areas, and opted to delay specific tree requirements until the town completes a comprehensive streetscape plan.
Holly Taylor, chair of the Planning Commission, and members reviewed landscaping and streetscape standards for a proposed Downtown Design Overlay District during their April 22 meeting. Heather Carrington, a CCDS consultant working with the town, said the draft would require new commercial developments to provide sidewalks along street frontage and to use landscape screening to block visibility of parking lots from the street.
Commission members flagged the practical challenge of planting trees where sidewalks and pavements restrict soil area. Carrington proposed a payment-in-lieu option so developers could contribute to broader streetscape improvements rather than being forced to plant trees on constrained lots. The commission decided to postpone adopting mandatory tree-planting requirements until after it completes a townwide streetscape plan so those standards can be implemented consistently.
