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The Danville Planning Commission is set to consider approving an amendment that would update the downtown business district ordinance Tuesday night.
The proposed amendment is the first of a two-phased ordinance update, intended to spur retail development in Danville: Phase 1 will focus on the downtown core and Phase 2 on the North Hartz Ave. area. Tuesday night’s public hearing follows two study sessions held jointly with the Town Council, during which the two bodies discussed potential ordinance changes to be made.
Phase 1 focuses on “re-affirming” the vision of the downtown core by adding and clarifying land-use designations, streamlining the permit processing, encouraging outdoor social spaces and accommodating pop-up uses like art galleries or artist spaces. The amendment also proposes to reduce the length of time a legal non-conforming use maintains that status from 90 days down to 30 days.
“Consistent with direction from the Town Council and Planning Commission the main drive for all proposed ordinance amendments is to maintain the character of the Downtown Core as the center of Danville life, defined by vibrant and engaging pedestrian-oriented land uses and unique special events,” wrote assistant town manager Tai Williams in a staff report.
Land-use designation updates include the new terms for “blended use” and “tasting room.” The categorization of blended use would allow retailers to incorporate small, non-retail components to their shops while still being considered wholly retail for land-use and parking requirements. Tasting room would cover shops that want to offer beer and wine tasting on the side or as a standalone store.
In other land-use designation changes, the amendment would differentiate the various restaurant types in order to accommodate the different parking demands of distinct dining subcategories.
The new categories lead into the amendment’s proposal to streamline permit processing — by expanding the list of retail designations, there will be fewer deviations, thus reducing the need to process permits.
Also to expedite permit processing, the amendment would simplify the process for outdoor seating and the parking demand calculation.
In order to encourage outdoor social spaces, the amendment proposes that outdoor public gathering spaces be incentivized, by giving a credit towards a development’s off-site parking in-lieu fee for every 100 square feet of public gathering space.
Lastly, “pop-up” uses is an item that came up during the Aug. 29 joint study session. Under the proposal, an art gallery would be considered a retail use, permitted anywhere in the downtown area.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Town Meeting Hall, 201 Front St.
In other business
* Commissioners will also consider approving a time extension and amendment to the conditions of a previously approved subdivision resolution.
In February 2015, commissioners approved a resolution permitting two parcels at 805 and 813 La Gonda Way to be subdivided into five single-family parcels. The applicant, Elham Zarnegar, is now requesting a one-year extension on the subdivision’s tentative map and the elimination of a requirement to underground the existing joint overhead utility pole and overhead wires along La Gonda Way.