Pacing Downtown Development

Here's the HoCo planning staff's recommendations for phasing in development downtown:

1. The phasing plan shall consist of six increments that set maximum levels of new development for each land use category: residential, retail, office and hotel. The phasing plan shall also require minimum levels of development that shall be completed for each land use category before the next phase commences.
2. Each phase shall include a list of infrastructure, restoration and amenity projects to be completed before the next phase can commence. Each project shall be funded, in part or in its entirety, by a financial contribution from the original petitioner. Each phase shall include at least one project from each the following categories:
- Transit and major transportation improvements not currently required by APF (such as additional lanes or interchange improvements, etc.)
• First phase shall include completion of feasibility studies for all needed major transportation improvements
- Environmental restoration projects for those watersheds that include the Downtown area
- Downtown Neighborhood Community Gathering Space (to be included within the first five phases)
- Arts, Cultural and Community or public/civic facility (Schools, Fire Station, Police sub-station, Library)
• First Phase shall include renovations to Merriweather Post Pavilion as described in the GPA and identification of a location for a new Downtown Fire Station.
3. The Plan shall require each FDP amendment to include tracking of all previous and current phases, to ensure completion of required projects, to provide a comparison of currently completed projects with phasing plan, and provide strategies on how a proposed FDP amendment will implement and comply with current phase.
4. The Plan should include project monitoring in five-year increments with developer reporting, association reporting, and GGP cumulative reporting including the regular five-year re-assessment of traffic analyses.