Board urges infrastructure, implementation tools for Midtown vision

Advisory board members discussed the citys Midtown area as a priority for the comprehensive-plan update and emphasized the need to pair any higher-density future land-use category with infrastructure investments and design standards.

Tony Palermo described a Midtown future land-use category that would allow higher-density zoning in targeted areas. "There's a Midtown future land use category that's new and if you use that future land use category, you can rezone your property to Midtown zoning categories," Palermo said. Board members said Midtown has promise but lacks sufficient infrastructure now to deliver the type of development the plan envisions.

Members asked staff to consider infrastructure sequencing, public-ownership strategies for strategic parcels, and design standards that will guide private redevelopment so Midtown complements downtown rather than displaces or fragments existing neighborhoods.