Commissioners consider redevelopment and innovation overlays; discuss empty ground-floor retail

Mr. Bartley proposed two special overlay concepts: a priority redevelopment overlay to direct resources to underutilized parcels and an innovation overlay to incentivize particular business types. He described overlays as map-based flags rather than separate land-use categories designed to steer resources where redevelopment is desired.

Commissioners debated the effectiveness and control available through overlay tools. One commissioner cautioned that redevelopment overlays may require coordination with outside entities (for example, state economic development bodies) and said the political and financial tools could fall beyond planning's direct control. Commissioners also discussed why downtown ground-floor commercial spaces often remain vacant: high asking rents, landlord strategies to preserve asset value, and inflexible brand standards that prevent tenant-driven façade changes. Mr. Bartley said such implementation details could be tackled later in the zoning/code phase.

No overlay was adopted at this meeting; commissioners requested examples and clearer definitions and asked staff to assess tools that could achieve the desired outcomes without overreaching planning authority.