Commission discusses conservation and traffic mitigation overlay with 8% land cap

City planning staff presented an illustrative map and draft definition for a Conservation and Traffic Mitigation District (CTMD) intended to explore overlay zoning that could balance development and environmental protections.

“...no more than 8% of the city land shall be designated as CTMD,” the planner said, explaining the intent was to test how an overlay could be structured within statutory limits and that the sample map was not a recommendation to adopt. Staff said the overlay could combine waterfront business, general commercial and a 5‑corner area to evaluate an overlay district while remaining inside the 8% statutory threshold. Commissioners were clear the materials were a planning tool for future consideration and not a final proposal.

The proposal includes limiting the number of CTMD overlays to two citywide and allowing parking requirements to be met by state public act parking rules or a parking needs assessment when it results in fewer spaces. Staff emphasized the map and draft language are starting points for future meetings and that any map amendment would be a separate, more deliberative process, including public hearings.