Title
Equitable Development Update: Timeline and Heritage Overlay Districts (B)
Explanation
The City Commission referred a comprehensive list of work items related to furthering equitable development at their special meeting on August 31, 2020. Staff from the offices of the City Manager and the City Attorney have developed a list of the referrals, along with tentative timelines and necessary steps for implementation for each item. The list is included in the backup for Commission consideration.
Staff has also drafted amendments to the City’s existing heritage overlay district regulations which are intended to make the individual neighborhood designation process easier to implement. The City Commission requested that staff bring the draft amendments to them prior to taking the code changes to the Plan Board as part of the normal legislative process.
Staff is seeking guidance from the Commission on the following questions that arose during the course of making revisions to the existing ordinance for the overlay district:
1. The existing code requires the submittal of a petition generated by the neighborhood requesting the overlay district designation. What should be the mechanism for neighborhood selection?
2. Which review board should be the designated body for reviewing regulated work within the overlay district? Currently, the Land Development Code specifies an as yet created “Heritage Overlay District Board” to serve in this function however, the Commission could specify an existing board to complete these duties if desired.
3. Staff is requesting the Commission review the list of regulated work items that would be subject to potential review within a heritage overlay district (Pg. 3 of draft regulations).
4. Should the overlay be renamed to a Neighborhood Conservation District or another name?
5. Staff prepared a map outlining potential areas eligible for heritage overlay district designation based on its understanding that the heritage overlay district is intended to be a tool to provide historically underrepresented neighborhoods an opportunity for more control over the form of development within the neighborhood. Is this understanding correct or is the Commission intending on allowing any interested neighborhood to be designated a heritage overlay district?
Draft regulations and a draft eligibility map are provided in the backup for Commission consideration and further guidance.
Recommendation
The Commission continue discussion from its November 5, 2020, meeting on heritage overlay districts and any other housing related follow ups and take action deemed necessary.