Metro Jacksonville

Jacksonville by Neighborhood => Downtown => Topic started by: jaxnyc79 on December 20, 2018, 01:59:35 PM

Title: Downtown Zoning Overhaul
Post by: jaxnyc79 on December 20, 2018, 01:59:35 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2018/12/20/new-height-restrictions-parking-changes-and.html

Lori Boyer plans to file legislation by February 1 to overhaul downtown zoning requirements.
Highlights:
Elimination of height restrictions for much of downtown
A Set-aside of public space for any riverfront projects, with tiered height allowances the further away a structure gets from the river
Elimination of minimum parking requirements for most uses with exception of hotel and residential projects
A ban on new surface parking lots visible from the street over a certain size, "size TBD"
Title: Re: Downtown Zoning Overhaul
Post by: thelakelander on December 20, 2018, 02:42:36 PM
QuoteIn another effort to simplify things, the city would have eight overlay districts as compared to the 10 overlay districts that are in place. The main changes here would see the expansion of the Central Core and Cathedral districts, the removal of the Institutional district -- which is where the jail is located -- and the consolidation of three districts that overlay the stadium area into one sector called the Sports & Entertainment district.

I'd be interested to see how the overlay districts treat LaVilla. In this map, it splits LaVilla's main commercial, cultural and most historically significant section into two to three separate overlay districts. It should be included in one sector, similar to what is being down with the Sports & Entertainment district. If not, the little sense of place the remaining historic buildings around Broad and Ashley provide will be incrementally lost as the area becomes a hodge podge of infill with different design criteria.

(https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/sites/default/files/210777_standard.jpeg)

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/the-cawton-report-boyer-working-to-streamline-downtown-zoning-rules
Title: Re: Downtown Zoning Overhaul
Post by: Steve on April 12, 2019, 11:03:55 AM
Update on this:

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/legislation-aims-to-overhaul-design-standards-to-make-downtown-more-uniform

I think the concepts are very good in here (like eliminating minimum parking and letting the market dictate parking needs). I'd want to understand exactly what the details are. For example, if you get the boundaries of the districts wrong by even a single block, you can alter the proper historic use of the properties and make development unnecessarily harder.
Title: Re: Downtown Zoning Overhaul
Post by: thelakelander on April 12, 2019, 11:12:10 AM
^The original map pictured above did get LaVilla's boundary wrong. It omitted everything east of Jefferson. I reached out to Councilwoman Boyer back in January with my concerns. Luckily, they did go back and shift the LaVilla boundary east so Genovars Hall, Clara White Mission, Masonic Temple, etc. is now located in the proper district.
Title: Re: Downtown Zoning Overhaul
Post by: Charles Hunter on April 12, 2019, 11:33:17 AM
To Steve, the bill numbers are in the article, should be easy to look them up at http://cityclts.coj.net/coj/cojBillSearchNew.asp?type=PL
Title: Re: Downtown Zoning Overhaul
Post by: acme54321 on April 12, 2019, 12:14:07 PM
What's with all of the holes in the new overlay?


Quote from: jaxnyc79 on December 20, 2018, 01:59:35 PMA ban on new surface parking lots visible from the street over a certain size, "size TBD"

Didn't see any mention of this.
Title: Re: Downtown Zoning Overhaul
Post by: fieldafm on April 12, 2019, 01:07:47 PM
Quote from: acme54321 on April 12, 2019, 12:14:07 PM
What's with all of the holes in the new overlay?

Looking at the image that the Daily Record posted, those non-shaded areas look to be parcels that are already zoned CCBD or have existing PUDs.
Title: Re: Downtown Zoning Overhaul
Post by: Kerry on April 12, 2019, 03:07:19 PM
Why exempt hotels and residential from minimum parking requirements?  If someone wants to build a hotel and provide no parking let them try it.  I've stayed in multiple hotels that didn't provide parking.  It opened up revenue streams for nearby garages. 
Title: Re: Downtown Zoning Overhaul
Post by: Steve on April 12, 2019, 04:05:58 PM
Quote from: Kerry on April 12, 2019, 03:07:19 PM
Why exempt hotels and residential from minimum parking requirements?  If someone wants to build a hotel and provide no parking let them try it.  I've stayed in multiple hotels that didn't provide parking.  It opened up revenue streams for nearby garages. 

For what it's worth, while it was a quick glance I couldn't find the hotel/residential exception thing mentioned in the December article anywhere in Boyer's bill. Believe it or not I agree with you. The Brand Standards for every hotel chain I can think of allows for Valet Parking in lieu of onsite parking, and I agree on the residential thing. I think you'd have a hard time selling condos in Downtown Jax without parking but to your point, that's a business decision.
Title: Re: Downtown Zoning Overhaul
Post by: Kiva on April 12, 2019, 05:57:10 PM
We don't need parking. Soon we will all be zipping around downtown in the JTA clown cars!
Title: Re: Downtown Zoning Overhaul
Post by: thelakelander on April 12, 2019, 06:02:53 PM
Lol, we haven't gotten to JTA today! The biz journal has an article out about JTA considering using elevators to get AVs from the Skyway to the ground instead of ramps. Talk about a bottleneck and capacity choking idea...
Title: Re: Downtown Zoning Overhaul
Post by: Kerry on April 12, 2019, 06:52:18 PM
Quote from: thelakelander on April 12, 2019, 06:02:53 PM
Lol, we haven't gotten to JTA today! The biz journal has an article out about JTA considering using elevators to get AVs from the Skyway to the ground instead of ramps. Talk about a bottleneck and capacity choking idea...

If they make it like the Falkirk Wheel sign me up...

https://youtu.be/DxKWSQDeA78
Title: Re: Downtown Zoning Overhaul
Post by: thelakelander on April 12, 2019, 07:14:38 PM
That boat lift thing totally thing defeats the concept of saving money and time (transit frequency would be toast and moving max capacity crowds would be restricted) over just paying to modernize the system with new rolling stock.
Title: Re: Downtown Zoning Overhaul
Post by: Kerry on April 14, 2019, 05:57:35 PM
The Falkirk Wheel has a coolness factor to high for Jacksonville to pull off anyhow.
Title: Re: Downtown Zoning Overhaul
Post by: heights unknown on April 14, 2019, 06:10:43 PM
Quote from: Kerry on April 14, 2019, 05:57:35 PM
The Falkirk Wheel has a coolness factor to high for Jacksonville to pull off anyhow.
LOLOL...
Title: Re: Downtown Zoning Overhaul
Post by: Kiva on April 14, 2019, 08:24:18 PM
Quote from: thelakelander on April 12, 2019, 06:02:53 PM
Lol, we haven't gotten to JTA today! The biz journal has an article out about JTA considering using elevators to get AVs from the Skyway to the ground instead of ramps. Talk about a bottleneck and capacity choking idea...
Elevators? What new methods can Jacksonville come up with to shoot the city in the foot?
Title: Re: Downtown Zoning Overhaul
Post by: Steve on April 18, 2019, 09:22:24 AM
Update on this:

DIA backs plan to simplify Downtown design standards, eliminate parking space requirements

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/dia-backs-plan-to-simplify-downtown-design-standards-eliminate-parking-space-requirements
Title: Re: Downtown Zoning Overhaul
Post by: Steve on May 17, 2019, 11:23:44 AM
Approved (unanimously) by City Council:

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/plan-to-simplify-downtown-design-standards-approved-by-jacksonville-city-council

Highlights:

- Reduces Downtown Districts from 11 to 8
- Reduces zoning categories from 14 down to 1, which allows for a variety of uses
- Eliminates minimum parking requirements downtown

I can't argue with any of this, though I'm sure some people can find fault
Title: Re: Downtown Zoning Overhaul
Post by: bl8jaxnative on May 18, 2019, 09:53:49 AM
thanks
Title: Re: Downtown Zoning Overhaul
Post by: MusicMan on May 18, 2019, 10:44:32 AM
"Ultimately, the goal is to give you some breathing room and not have a solid wall of something tall along the river that blocks off the public's view and access to the waterfront, recognizing that the riverfront is probably the greatest asset of all in Downtown and making sure it is a publicly available asset and helps lift values of everything adjacent to it," Boyer said.


It's tough to swallow that one when so much of the Downtown riverfront is abandoned or completly undersused at this point. From Met Park down to The Landing there is not much going on with the riverfront, certainly very little public use as things stand today.