Town planning staff presented the first draft of a downtown overlay district to the Planning and Zoning Commission on Jan. 13, a proposal that would consolidate two existing overlays and create three subdistricts intended to boost downtown vibrancy and employment.

The draft would replace the economic-development and planned-shopping-plaza overlays with a Downtown Overlay made up of an Avenue District (street-level retail and restaurants), a Business District (office and service uses north of the avenue), and an Innovation District (light assembly, labs and employment uses further north). Staff proposed restricting future ground-floor uses on the avenue to active retail, restaurants and entertainment to encourage sidewalk activity and proposed streetscape changes that would shift curb lines to widen pedestrian areas.

Staff also proposed raising by-right residential density from an effective eight units per acre (currently yielding about 1.1 units on a typical 6,000-square-foot lot) to options that would allow a higher yield. One idea presented would allow one unit per 2,000 square feet of building footprint, producing roughly three units per floor on a 6,000-square-foot lot. The draft suggests allowing temporary uses on vacant lots, stronger property-maintenance standards for vacant parcels, and considering a build-to line along the avenue to bring buildings forward to the street.

Commission discussion praised the overall ambition but flagged tradeoffs. Several commissioners cautioned that restricting ground-floor office uses on the avenue could make vacancies harder to fill because some existing tenants are offices, title companies and professional services. Commissioners asked staff to gauge property-owner sentiment and to coordinate changes with streetscape investments and the town’s economic-development strategy. Staff said outreach already included the Avenue Merchants Association and plateau/plate 208 stakeholders and planned additional meetings ahead of a public hearing, with an expected P&Z hearing in March.

No vote was taken; staff will continue outreach and refine the draft.