SUMMARY OF MEASURE H:
The Citizens’ 2015 TOWN CENTER INITIATIVE SUPPORTS RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT. This Initiative closes loopholes to strengthen the original 2008 Town Center Plan’s requirements. Residents want to enjoy new shops and restaurants in a village atmosphere with convenient parking. The community, working with professional city planning experts, developed the Town Center Plan. $20,000,000 OF TAXPAYERS’ MONEY has already been spent on Town Center.
Passage of the Citizens’ Initiative:
- PROMOTES the desired vibrant BUSINESS DISTRICT, allowing offices and residences on upper floors
- REINFORCES THE 40 foot HEIGHT and 3 STORY LIMITS
- REQUIRES ADEQUATE PARKING per the CITY’S ZONING CODE
- MAKES DEVELOPERS PAY their FAIR SHARE for parking
- PROTECTS TAXPAYERS from burdensome future PARKING COSTS
- SHIELDS OUR NEIGHBORHOODS from OVERFLOW parking
- MANDATES VOTER APPROVAL for plan changes
- ADDS sales tax REVENUE and JOBS
- STRENGTHENS the original 2008 TOWN CENTER PLAN
THE INITIATIVE AND THE 2008 TOWN CENTER PLAN (TCP) PROMOTE TOWN CENTER AS A PRIMARY BUSINESS DISTRICT OF THE CITY (TCP PRIMARY GOAL pages 13, 15) with a family oriented beach community character and a small town village atmosphere (TCP pages 10, 15). There are four main provisions:
- 3 story and 40-foot height limits are mandated (TCP Development Standards page 31)
- First floor commercial use is required on all Town Center streets, as currently exists (TCP page 15). Office use is preferred on the upper floors (TCP page 13) and multi-family residential use is restricted to upper floors (Land Use Matrix TCP page 25)
- Existing parking codes must be applied for new development (TCP page 54)
- Voter approval is required for changes to the Town Center Plan
In the Initiative, developers must pay an in lieu fee minimum of $40,000 for parking spaces not provided, the city’s estimated cost (TCP page 54). Guest spaces must be provided on- site (TCP Page 54) and bicycle spaces are excluded from reducing the necessary parking requirements for residential and commercial development.
To better inform residents about projects pending approval, on site height markers (story poling) are required (TCP page 33) and more detailed information must be provided two weeks prior to a project’s presentation for approval.
CHANGES AND ADDITONS TO STRENGTHEN THE 2008 TOWN CENTER PLAN
- Voter approval is required for changes to the Town Center Plan
- Conditional permits including decorative pediments, stairwells or elevator towers to access roof decks allowing the height to exceed 40 feet are not allowed
- In lieu fee is stated as $40,000 per space (the city’s estimated cost) as required in the 2008 Town Center Plan
- Height of the project is measured as 40 feet above the average of high and low elevations on the lot being developed
- Bicycle spaces are excluded from reducing the necessary residential and non-residential parking requirement
- On site story poling is required for 20 days
- Project material should be available to the public two weeks prior to submission to the city for approval
- Variance must be supported by evidence that it meets statutory requirements and requires a formal legal opinion to that effect from the City Attorney
- Voter approval is required for changes to the 2015 Town Center Initiative
