Council weighs new downtown district standards, keeps historic overlay language for reference

Consultant Brett Kee said the UDO proposes a new downtown (DT) district to control building placement, heights and pedestrian orientation so that future redevelopment preserves street‑facing character. "So, somebody can't come in and put, you know, a gas station downtown and have pumps and big canopy out front. That just disrupts that whole story character," Kee said when explaining why downtown needs distinct standards.

Council members raised whether the phrase "historic downtown" would be retained; Kee said the historic overlay remains useful descriptively, but the proposed DT district would carry enforceable standards (setbacks, maximum storefront setbacks and facade requirements) that the overlay previously lacked.

Staff and the consultant discussed applying the DT boundary only where appropriate and leaving other existing zonings unchanged. The council asked staff to make clear how the DT label will appear in public materials and to retain historical references in descriptive text if desired while using the DT code for enforceable rules.