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Planners press form-based principles over style checklists in Eagle update
Summary
Staff and several board members favored emphasizing form-based parameters (scale, massing, glazing, pedestrian experience) and clear pattern language to guide good design, arguing that such guidance is more useful than strict style checklists.
Multiple board members endorsed shifting the emphasis in the revised guidance from strict, named styles toward form-based principles that describe massing, scale, glazing and pedestrian experience.
One member summarized the priorities as four core points that "transcend style," urging a pattern-language approach that lays out where front doors should be, how to break planes, and what contributes to a pedestrian-friendly street. "I like those 4 bullet points, by the way," the chair said, endorsing concise, transferable principles that can be applied across styles and contexts.
Staff agreed that robust exhibits and a short matrix could support those principles while retaining illustrative styles for inspiration. Several board members suggested pairing the form-based section with photos, callouts and simple checklists so applicants and staff can quickly assess conformance without reducing review to empty checkboxes.
