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Staff seeks guidance on CBD height options; architects urge coordinated review of FAR, parking and use rules
Summary
Staff proposed lowering the CBD maximum height from 40 to 35 feet or adopting form-based codes to protect downtown character; architects and developers urged analyzing the change alongside FAR, parking and commercial-use requirements before final action.
Staff briefed the commission on options for central-business-district (CBD) building-height policy, noting the city’s history of multiple changes between 30 and 40 feet and the desire to preserve a village scale downtown. Proposed options included a straight reduction from 40 to 35 feet, a roof-pitch–sensitive approach that differentiates pitched roofs from flat roofs, or adopting form-based codes to better guide building form and architectural character.
Architects and downtown owners urged a coordinated analysis of height, floor-area ratio (FAR), parking requirements and commercial-use thresholds, saying height on its own will not determine final building yields or form. "I think they're all 4 now that we have the... height put on the table," Mac Walcott said, arguing that FAR, parking and use rules together affect what developers can build. Staff said the package is not final and asked stakeholders to submit feedback; the commission closed the hearing and directed staff to return with more options.
