|
Intended to better accommodate the type of mixed use, pedestrian friendly development that Hillsboro’s citizens hope to see in the coming years
July 5, 2011: The Hillboro City Council adopted Ordinance No. 5973, approving Zoning Ordinance text amendments and Zoning Map amendments related to the new SCC-DT Station Community Commercial - Downtown zone. The boundary of the new zone is the consolidation of three existing zones: SCC-CBD Station Community Commercial – Central Business District; SCC-HOD Station Community Commercial – Highway-Oriented District; and SCC-SC Station Community Commercial – Station Commercial in the Hillsboro downtown and applied the new zone to the properties within the boundary. Click here to view a map of the boundary area.
BACKGROUND
The Planning Commission has held several work sessions on proposed amendments to HZO Volume II regarding the existing three downtown zones: SCC-CBD Station Community Commercial – Central Business District; SCC-HOD Station Community Commercial – Highway-Oriented District; and SCC-SC Station Community Commercial – Station Commercial. The consensus within the business community and between Commissioners and staff is that the existing language (adopted and applied in 1997) hinders downtown redevelopment with unrealistic standards for maximum densities, minimum parking, and building stepbacks, among others.
Since July 2009 staff spent considerable time on the Downtown Urban Renewal Plan and the adoption of that document, however, since that milestone has been reached staff is now focused on the much needed new downtown commercial zone amendments.
DOWNTOWN CODE ASSISTANCE PROJECT
In Fall 2008, the City of Hillsboro was awarded a Code Assistance grant in the amount of $43,300 from the State of Oregon’s Transportation and Growth Management (TGM) Program to audit the commercial portion of the development code for Downtown. A TGM consultant team performed a preliminary code audit, which was reviewed by City staff and a Technical Advisory Committee.
To date we have had numerous meetings with City staff that comprise the Technical Advisory Committee as well as with the Downtown Advisory Committee and the Planning Commission in regards to the code assistance work and the development of a new downtown commercial zone. The dates and subject matter of the meetings are noted below:
- January 7, 2009: Planning Commission Work Session discussing the preliminary code audit and the potential to use a map based approach with development standards
- January 8, 2009: Downtown Advisory Committee (DAC) briefing of discussion of January 7 PC work session
- March 12, 2009: DAC - Draft outline of a new downtown commercial zone presented describing a new unified zone for Downtown that utilizes a series of maps in conjunction with development standards
- April 8, 2009: Planning Commission work session - Draft outline of the new downtown commercial zone
- May 28, 2009: DAC - First draft presented of the new downtown commercial zone
- June 17, 2009: Planning Commission work session - First draft presented of the new downtown commercial zone
- July 23, 2009 – TAC – Discussed Draft 2 (incorporating all comments from PC and DAC from the 1st draft) which was a simplified, reorganized, user-friendly version of the code intended for public meetings.
- November 10, 2010 – Planning Commission work session – provide update to Planning Commission on the work accomplished to date for the new downtown commercial zone.
- January 12, 2011 – Planning Commission work session - provide final update to Planning Commission and receive direction regarding changes on the final in-house draft for the new downtown commercial zone.
- January 26, 2011 - Planning Commission initiated text and map amendments proposed by staff.
- March 17, 2011 - Planning Commission public hearing on proposed text and map amendments. Civic Center Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
TEXT OF PROPOSED ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS
These amendments are intended to better accommodate the type of mixed use, pedestrian friendly development that Hillsboro’s citizens hope to see in the coming years. The overall approach for the new Downtown Commercial zone assumes the following:
- Consolidating the three Station Community Commercial (SCC) zones (shown in shade of pink in the Code Audit Study Area Map attached) into one new Downtown zone within the same boundary;
- Utilizing maps in conjunction with the standards to express locational differences within the zone. For example, the maximum height map would show five stories in the downtown core and lower heights in the “residential compatibility” areas adjacent to the surrounding residential neighborhoods.
Click here for proposed text amendments.
PROJECT CONTACT INFORMATION
Karla Antonini, Project Manager
Hillsboro Ecomonic Development Department
150 East Main Street, 3rd Floor
Hillsboro, Oregon 97123
(503) 681-6181
|