QuoteCity Council member Lori Boyer is quietly working to streamline building design standards and redefine zoning in Downtown Jacksonville.
Boyer has been meeting regularly since May with a working group to reshape the standards that regulate development in the urban core.
"What we have now is outdated," she said Tuesday. "It's another one of these sections of the code that we haven't touched in quite a while."
https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/the-cawton-report-boyer-working-to-streamline-downtown-zoning-rules
Cleaning up the code is good. I am interested in what the code will do "to make the pedestrian realm inviting."
Cool. Hopefully, one day they revise the zoning code for the entire urban core. The code is really destroying historic minority districts in the city.
OK, y'all already know my name in this forum is "Heights Unknown." I agree with what Boyer is doing. Only thing is, and I know buildings and tall buildings do not make a city, but remember, Jax is almost a city of 1 million people. Not only do we need to act like it, but we also need to look like it. That being said, I agreed with everything she's doing except the building height thing. Unrestrict the building height code(s) and restrictions to free up development in the Central Urban District (which has been expanded). No, I do not want Jax to copy or be like New York or Chicago, but just "let her rip" so developers can come in and "do their thing" unhampered and unrestricted, relative to the height thing, so Jax can take on it's on identity and appearance in the core/downtown, and look like a city of 1 million people and not a city of 100,000 with a 1 million people population. I know I'm going to get hammered about this post, but remember, my name is "Heights Unknown" in this forum and I LOVE tall and super tall skyscrapers and buildings! LET'S DO IT AND LET'S GO JAX!!!
If I recall, the restrictions were just near the riverfront, to require "stair stepping" so we don't have a wall of tall along the river, blocking everyone else's view. Seems reasonable to me.
That's ok with me; but density is density (along with vibrancy and prosperity of downtown), especially if all the pieces of the puzzle are together and working, i.e., people living and working downtown, street level business and retail, recreation available, entertainment, restaurants, and a 24/7 downtown instead of a downtown that shuts down at sunset or after the workers depart for home. If we have all or most of the aforementioned that lends to a vibrant and "working" downtown, along with the tall's and super tall's which usually are a sign of prosperity and success in the urban core/downtown, who cares if tall buildings are blocking other buildings. In my opinion that's been one of Jax's problems in the past; too much red tape restricting progress, construction, interested developers, etc., and I think she touched on that issue/subject. So let's get the ball rolling.
No need to reinvent the wheel. It is already done, they just need to adopt it.
http://smartcodecentral.com/