The Fredericksburg City Council on Tuesday voted to postpone by one month consideration of three changes to the zoning in the downtown commercial area.
The council was considering a preliminary vote on an amendment to the city’s Unified Development Ordinance that would impact the height, density and use of buildings in the historic downtown portion of the city.
However, after getting input from the public, council members were not ready to act.
Five of the six speakers at Tuesday’s council meeting addressed the proposed changes and asked the council to postpone action.
Historic Fredericksburg Foundation Inc. board member Emily Taggart Schricker presented to council a petition signed by more than 400 people, including their comments.
The petition asked for a delay until a full impact study could be completed.
HFFI Executive Director Sean Maroney was particularly concerned about the change related to the height of buildings. He did not support giving developers the right to build structures taller than 50 feet.
Under the proposed change, developers building in that area would have measured the height of their structures from the 100-year flood level.
Though the council did not vote on any of the proposed changes, the consensus was to reject that change.
The proposed changes are part of the city’s overhaul of its zoning and subdivision ordinances into what’s known as a Unified Development Ordinance. The council voted in October to approve the UDO as a whole but since then has been reviewing portions of it to make modifications.
The second change would increase the number of multifamily units per acre from 12 to 18 in the commercial downtown area. Twelve is the minimum number to build a town-house development.
The third change would require a 25–75 mix of commercial and residential development for mixed use. In addition, 30 percent of the ground floor would be required to have a high-traffic commercial use such as a restaurant.
In a 5–2 vote, the council decided to bring back to council the three issues for separate consideration March 11.
Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw and Councilman Matt Kelly opposed the action.
When it looked like the council might delay action indefinitely, Planning Director Chuck Johnston pushed for action on the third issue, saying that the current zoning, which allowed for the ground floor to be entirely offices was bad for the city’s economic interests.
Councilwoman Bea Paolucci suggested creating a separate commercial zoning in the downtown historic district but no vote was taken on that suggestion.
In other action Tuesday, the council voted unanimously to support Vice Mayor Brad Ellis’ suggestion to consider splitting the economic development and tourism department into separate components.
Ellis suggested the council discuss the pros and cons of the idea but first get input on it from the city’s Economic Development Authority.
He stressed that the city needs to be proactive in seeking greater economic development opportunities.
Council members noted that splitting the department in two would require additional funds in the next budget and Kelly noted the idea has been considered before.
No date was set for when the council would hold a work session to discuss the proposal.
BY PAMELA GOULD / THE FREE LANCE–STAR
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