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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Form Based Codes Subcommittee - 03/29/2019SOUTH BURLINGTON FORM BASED CODE SUBCOMMITTEE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES 29 MARCH 2019 The South Burlington Form Based Code Subcommiee held a meeng on Monday, 18 March 2019, at 12:30 p.m., in theChamplain Conference Room, City Hall, 575 Dorset Street. MEMBERS PRESENT: M. Behr, D. Macdonald, A. Klugo, Chair ALSO PRESENT: P. Conner, Director of Planning and Zoning; T. Mackenzie; K. Braverman; C. Reid; A. Demetrowitz 1. Direcons on emergency evacuaon procedures from conference room Mr. Conner provided instrucons for evacuaons 2. Agenda: Addions, deleons, or changes in the order of agenda items No changes. 3. Open to the public for items not related to the agenda No comments 4. Connue review of requests for amendments to the City Center FBC Mr. Mackenzie asked if he could outline some of the key priories for South Burlington City Center, LLC and Snyder-Braverman Development Company, in order to help the subcommiee determine which items to address first among their requests. Commiee members were ok with this. Mr. Mackenzie then outlined four areas: · Ability to use off-site open space in the T4 District · Doorway spacing and operability in the T5 · The placement of buildings in locaons other than directly adjacent to streets · The placement and spacing of curb cuts Mr. Conner reminded the commiee that there are also requests from enes other than these. Mr. Macdonald asked how any amendments are likely to proceed. Mr. Conner said that the Planning Commission’s expectaon is that the Subcommiee will do the bulk of the work – reviewing requests, examining consequences to amendments, considering proposed amendments’ consistency to the City’s vision and Comprehensive Plan. In terms of process, staff envisions that there might be 1-2 sets of amendments, and likely not mulple sets of amendments, that would advance together. Mr. Klugo asked staff to introduce the next topic, doorway spacing and operability. Mr. Conner outlined the topic. The current regulaons in the T5 require public entries to be spaced no further than 30’ apart on average with a maximum spacing of 40’. Public entries require doors to be open during business hours for entry by the public. Mr. Conner indicated that there have been requests from Snyder-Braverman and Cathedral Square on the subject. He added that from staff’s perspecve, the principal issue relang to the operability of doors comes down to the use within the first floor. At present, all non-residenal uses are permied. In the Smart Code, uses within the first 25’ of the building’s first floor must be retail or restaurants. Mr. Conner indicated that from staff’s viewpoint, the resoluon for future buildings is to allow first floor uses that are seeking foot traffic. Mr. Klugo said that in his view, a key queson is whether the City’s objecve is to have acve downtown vs acve downtown with small businesses. He felt that it would be possible to have an acve downtown with every other entry being a “representaon” of a door. Mr. Macdonald said that mulple doorways for a retail is problemac and understands that it’s a balance with blank spaces. Mr. Braverman said that on retail side it’s a maer of control and shopfing. On the restaurant side, it can totally change the vibe of the enre place Mr. Klugo said that the city may want to look at whether doors need to be recessed from the building by 3’ to break up the solid paern. Mr. Braverman described the challenge that Cathedral Square has with its new building. A building was constructed, and they are not able to obtain a Cerficate of Occupancy due to operability of doors. Mr. Behr noted that we cannot be solving the problem of a parcular building. Mr. Braverman referred to the Burlington regulaons, where there is a differenaon between shopfronts and office-fronts. Ms. Reid asked to have business hours defined as when the business chooses to be open. Mr. Conner noted that the key for staff is to have uses that want pedestrian traffic, and that if that can be achieved, staff is not as concerned about business hours. Mr. Klugo asked if the regulaons can we combine a subject of doors as operable and also something along the 25’ foot retail / foot traffic. Mr. Braverman pointed to Burlington’s first floor definion, which is broader than just retail and restaurant. Mr. Klugo suggested staff look at uses by percentages. If 100% of the frontage had to be retail or restaurant, then there could be no lobby to a residenal use. Asked if an H&R Block would be considered retail, he said that for him, would depend on whether it was the enre floorplate of the building. Mr. Braverman asked that the Commiee set aside other issues to try to solve Cathedral Square’s problems. Mr. Klugo asked staff to look at a percentage of the first 25’ and to examine Burlington’s regulaons fir first floors. Mr. Mackenzie then provided the Commiee with an overview of the off-site Open Space request, nong that he had just signed an MOU with the City Manager to examine this subject. Commiee members asked staff to provide them with a copy of the MOU. Members discussed a next meeng date of April 8 or April 15. Mr. Conner will circulate opons. 5. Adjourn As there was no further business, the Commiee adjourned at 2:12 pm.