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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDeep-Dive Summary & matrix revisions 06.26.20021 Use Table Subcommittee Zoning Districts Deep-Dive Summary General Phase 2 changes identified to consider addressing across multiple zones. Consideration of the following (subcommittee consensus): • Move forward incrementally or gradually for certain use table changes. • There is a danger of disrupting the industrial zones through possible changes. Need to consider how changes could increase the land values, that could in turn raise rents and force many businesses out. • Consider Business Community (BC) zones as seeds for 15 min. neighborhood centers - existing zones/ areas to consider implementing 15-min. neighborhoods. • Incentivize small, local business in BC zones through limited uses that encourage smaller floor plates. • Update Live/Work use definition, consider additional live/work definitions based on context and reconsider use allowances in zones beyond industrial zones • Redefine Home Occupation and reconsider use allowances • Reformat, simplify and update the Restaurant uses including square footage limits and use allowances • Reformat and update office uses in the Use Table, and reconsider use allowances if appropriate. • Separate out and reformat Fraternities and Sororities uses in the Use Table from Dormitories. • Update Art or Craft Studio Space definition and reconsider allowances • Update Group Quarters definition and reconsider allowances • Create a new Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) use, under Agriculture and Natural Resources uses. Considerations of potential changes specifically related to achieving 15-minute neighborhoods & more functional neighborhood centers (correlates to green cells in the following tables): • Update Live/Work use definition, consider additional live/work definitions based on context and reconsider use allowances in zones beyond industrial zones • Consider less restrictions for arts or craft studios and allow more broadly? • Reconsider mobile food vehicles citywide to enable more walkable access to food • Consider limited sized restaurants or brewpubs that could be better integrated into industrial zones or potentially residential zones along primary corridors to promote more mixed-use and walkability • Create a definition of post office separate from “government facilities” and allow on the ground floor of neighborhood centers • Are neighborhood business centers still a relevant use? Should it be eliminated in favor of more fine grained limited sized uses that could be better integrated into residential zones. • Consider updating personal service uses definition and explore other areas where they could be allowed to better serve neighborhoods. • Consider creating a new definition for “grocery stores” that are smaller and more accessible to neighborhoods. • Create limited use or conditional use criteria for smaller scale convenience retail uses to encourage small corner stores in appropriate locations. • Allow Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) as a new use permitted in the Agriculture (A) and Public (P) zones. • Consider changing Animal Hospitals or Vet Clinics from a Use Review use to allowed uses to encourage them as a neighborhood serving use. Project goals approved by subcommittee in December 2019. Use Table structure suggestions (staff): • Consider splitting off Industrial Uses from Commercial and Retails Uses. • Consider adding Lodging Uses to the Commercial and Retail Uses. • Consider correcting the seemingly erroneous “Outdoor Storage of Merchandise” in the Use Table to “Outdoor display of merchandise”, to align with the corresponding definition. Move to appropriate section in the Use Table. • Consider moving Outdoor Entertainment use to under the “Dining and Entertainment” Use Table section rather than the “Parks and Recreation” section. USE TABLE AND STANDARDS OVERARCHING GOALS 2 Definitions and other areas suggested for potential changes (subcommittee consensus) consistent with the goals of the project shown above: • Consider revising the definition of Outdoor Entertainment. Some of the uses listed within the definition could be split-off as separate, less intense uses. For example, driving ranges, go-cart tracks, miniature golf, versus a small amphitheater probably fit into neighborhoods differently. See BC zones. • Consider revising the definition of Sales and Rental of Vehicles to split-off large vehicles, such as Recreational Vehicles (RVs) and boats. Such large vehicles sales and rentals are more appropriate in light industrial zones instead. See BC zones. Also need to align the use title in the Use Table to the definition (change the “and” to an “or”). • Consider revising the Telecommunications use definition to be less vague. See BC zones. • Consider splitting Dormitories and Boarding Houses off as a separate use(s) and definition from Fraternities and Sororities use. See BC zones. • Consider breaking out grocery stores as a separate use from Retail Sales, with a separate definition. See MU zones. • Consider updating and modernizing the Personal Service Use definition, to more accurately reflect modern uses. • Perhaps consider creating a new use category for adult businesses and limiting the operational hours, and require spacing standards as well, although may be a solution in search of a problem. • Consider defining hotels and motels as separate uses, with hotels having emphasis as a lesser automobile-focused use. • Consider creating a new use for Bicycle repair / sales, and allow in the DT zones and elsewhere as may be appropriate. • Update definitions related to professional, administrative, technical and accessory offices. Is it necessary to have the number of definitions currently in the code? Difficult to administer. • As stated above, consider new definitions for live/work dependent on neighborhood context beyond industrial zones. Other subcommittee member suggestions for the Use Standards & Table - No subcommittee consensus: • Consider splitting off the RH 1/2 zones from the RH 4/5 zones, and adjusting the allowed uses within the RH 1/2 zones to reflect a more suburban character (less density). Currently these RH zones are all within the R6 use module. See the April 20, 2020 Use Table meeting notes for further discussion of the suggestion(s). • Consider allowing Efficiency Living Units (ELUs) outside of University Hill, in the R2 and R3 use modules to some extent, currently prohibited. • Industrial zones could be an interesting place to pilot some increase in residential uses that would complement the existing uses (at certain locations). Tweaks to the current use standards rather than rezonings. • Pilot any changes in Industrial zones to protect the existing industrial uses. Subcommittee Parking Lot (additional ideas outside the scope of this project to be conveyed to planning staff on other projects): • Looks at more options for new and updated area or subcommunity plans citywide to inform use table changes. • Consider changing the RM zoning of the Table Mesa area near CU south, to potentially an appropriate mixed-use zone in the future. • Revisit the ADU regulations and saturation limits when appropriate. • Consider easing the subdivision regulations for RR and RE zoned lots (reduced minimum lot sizes). Would allow an increase in the pool of single family houses in Boulder. It would be an incremental way to add housing without radically changing the character of single family neighborhoods. Such a change would need to be incremental, and impacts spread out across all zones. • Consider studying the potential for overlay areas (or other tools) to allow mixed-use including more residential uses in industrial zones at specific locations (rather than wholesale). Would likely be part of an implementation process as an outcome of subcommunity planning, that would identify such locations within a given community. Different industrial zones (such as Gunbarrel or East Boulder) have different needs. • Consider lessening the parking standards in the Industrial zones, as seemingly an overabundance of surface parking. • Consider the idea for the creation of an Arts District in the East Boulder Subcommunity Plan area (EBSCP). • Consider applying the existing RMX-2 density bonus for providing affordable housing types (section 9- 8-4c, B.R.C.) to other zones.