[Vision2020] Zoning as per Downtown Plan

[Art Deco]

Kit,

Thank you for posting this.

It appears that $50,000 was spent mostly on boiler plate,  most of it inane, 
some of it inapplicable.

The city has been hosed.

Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)
deco at moscow.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kit Craine" <kcraine at moscow.com>
To: "MCA Board Members" <MCABoard at moscow.com>; "mcamembers" 
<MCAMembers at moscow.com>; "2020 Vision" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 9:51 AM
Subject: [Vision2020] Zoning as per Downtown Plan


> Here’s the zoning section from the Downtown Plan, courtesy of Barbara 
> Richardson Crouch.
>
> Kit Craine
>
>
> Strategy 1: Revise Zoning Regulations
>
> If Downtown is to compete with other commercial districts locally or
> regionally, we must focus on creating a mixed-use, year-round district. 
> The
> Moscow Zoning Bylaws for the downtown area are fairly well suited to meet
> this goal.  However, certain sections can be revised to provide greater
> flexibility needed to attract new investment, provides for a mix of uses 
> and
> opportunities that serve all residents and visitors, enhances Main Street’s
> traditional civic and historic character, and re-enforce downtown as a
> “place of necessity” in the community.
>
> A. Permitted Uses
> The long-term viability of Downtown Moscow is dependant on the expansion 
> and
> flexibility of commercial, professional and residential uses.  A 
> combination
> of uses including retail, food and entertainment, professional services
> (particularly medical with the presence of Gritman Medical Center in the
> downtown), light industrial, recreational, cultural, and governmental must
> be permitted if Main Street is to become a place of necessity for 
> residents
> and continue to be an attraction for visitors and prospective investors.
> Well placed professional offices and residential uses (optimally on upper
> floors and side streets) fill vacant/underutilized spaces, create
> investment, establish year-round economy, provide built in security, and
> reduce traffic (i.e. you can live, work, shop and eat all within walking
> distance).  Only truly incompatible uses should be separated in a downtown
> district.  Much of the potential for incompatible uses can be addressed
> through performance standards and vertical separation, which would apply
> additional requirements to ensure that conflicts between certain uses don’t
> occur.
>
> B. Dimensional Standards
> Main Street’s scale and layout is distinct from all other commercial
> districts in the City. The zoning ordinance must ensure that: new
> development is built with pedestrians in mind (close or up to the sidewalk
> and adjacent buildings), no parking is allowed within the front-yard 
> setback
> but behind or on the side of the building. Landscaping and streetscape
> amenities are provided (benches, hard surfaces, street trees, etc).
> Sufficient height must be allowed by right to permit new investment and a
> necessary mix of uses to create a year-round economy and reduce travel
> needs.  The City should even consider minimum requirements for height 
> (i.e.
> two stories or 15 feet) and maximum setbacks (i.e. 10 feet) with 
> provisions
> for streetscape requirements aimed at improving the pedestrian 
> environment.
>
> C. Outdoor Uses
> Expanded outdoor uses are very important to attracting residents and
> visitors to downtown.  Additional adjustments need to be made to existing
> regulations permitting outdoor accessory retail, dining, venders,
> entertainment, and other attractive uses along Main Street.
>
> D. Sidewalk Café Ordinance
> Sidewalk café’s can generate new business and encourage additional
> pedestrian traffic, discourage street crime, give identity and vitality to
> downtown, serve as a special attraction and enhance the aesthetic value of
> urban life. They must be carefully monitored and regulated to ensure
> pedestrian access, sanitary conditions and that they are physically
> attractive.
>
> E. Parking
> Public parking is well-distributed throughout the downtown area.  However,
> the existing parking requirements should strengthen the opportunity for
> shared parking in compatible situations (i.e. professional office and
> residential). Also, the City should create a parking fund and revise the
> existing permit program. We suggest defining the fund broadly, so that it
> may be used for any purpose reasonably related to creating or 
> reconfiguring
> parking, closing or consolidating curb cuts, managing the supply of or
> demand for parking spaces, new or improved pedestrian paths or amenities,
> directional signage, and bicycle parking or public transit facilities.
>
> F. Incorporate Smart Growth Principals
> The philosophy behind Smart Growth is to protect open spaces, efficiently
> utilize local infrastructure and services, and invigorate existing
> employment centers and neighborhoods. As applied to Downtown, it means
> providing for a higher density of job and housing opportunities because of
> the established mix of uses, availability of public transportation and
> utilities, and other public and private amenities important to existing 
> and
> prospective residents.
>
> G. Create a Downtown Historic District
> A Downtown Historic District would feature the building and places in
> downtown that are so important to the development of the community.
> Districts are often used as a promotional tool for visitors, and national
> trends indicate that more people are visiting historic areas than ever
> before.  The district would not place any additional restrictions on 
> private
> properties.  The only potential requirement is if the property owner is
> using public funds to make renovations in which case a review of the 
> project
> would be necessary to ensure compliance with the Department of Interiors
> standards for improvements to historic building.  In fact, property owners
> would be eligible for certain historic preservation tax credits is
> renovations are made according to these standards.
>
> H. Establish a Design Review Process for Key Areas
> General standards to ensure that the scale, placement and orientation of 
> the
> building are consistent with the character of the district would help
> maintain and enhance the vitality of Main Street.
>
> I. Ensure that the Development Review Process is Efficient
> The Planning Department should work with applicants to encourage 
> discussion
> of projects even before an application is taken out, building guidelines 
> are
> available to explain the review process, that all departments input is
> discussed early in the process, that the approval process is straight
> forward and expeditious.
>
> J. Common Dumpster Ordinance
> Allow shared dumpster facilities when possible and require dumpsters to be
> locked at all times.  This helps do reduce offensive odors, scattered 
> debris
> and rubbish and possible health hazards.  Dumpsters should also be screen
> from view.  Encouraging joint use or consolidation of use by block to cut
> down on the overall number of dumpsters.  This is a particular problem on
> the west side of Main Street in the public parking lot between the backs 
> of
> the Main Street buildings and Jackson Street.
>
>
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