7B - Discussion on Commercial Buildings

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business that provides 25 jobs, looking to 25 locals businesses to each add one new job. This local-focus is enhanced by the scale of commercial activity that takes place. Our downtown is the place where we have the greatest level of public investment in terms of infrastructure. The downtown is also a place of intense private investment in terms of the number and value of commercial properties. To maximize these investments, the city needs a strategy that allows for more intense development on a framework that actually improves property values with each new private investment. In other words, each new private investment needs to add value to adjoining properties and improve the overall public space. This can only be done where form is the predominant regulatory consideration, not use or function. ➢ Should the city consider regulations similar to those adopted in Grand Marais, which has sought to promote a variety of local businesses by limiting the size of commercial buildings in the downtown? The Grand Marais ordinance limits buildings in the downtown to 6,000 square feet of retail space. Should the city consider regulations that would require review of architectural design for buildings that have the potential to degrade the public realm? These would be buildings that could, by their design, create a void space that would become a barrier to pedestrian traffic. For example, a Conditional Use Permit could be required for new commercial buildings greater than 30-feet wide to ensure that the design remains pedestrian-scaled, and not auto-scaled. ➢ Should the city consider making the Grow Zone standards required or the default set of requirements for downtown properties? Is the continued placement of big-box retailers a concern that the Planning Commission wants to research further? 31 Page