Update: Mayor’s Mixed-Use Task Force

(For an introduction to the MMUTF, go here.)

The 3rd meeting was yesterday, July 1. The agenda began with the topic of “Framing the Mixed Use Management Process” and a lengthy, initial discussion ensued about the approach this committee was charged with and will take. The main task is to create an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan, which will set forth non-regulatory policy on large scale, mixed use development and re-development.

There are five subgroups, covering key topics relating to this task: Process (convened by Ted Tye), Access (Srdjan Nedeljkovic), Design (Andrea Kelley), Housing (Josephine McNeil), Finance (Scott Oran), and Outreach (Bill Renke).

Housing, Design and Outreach reported on their progress so far.  Housing has a draft list of eleven topic areas to explore further in response to their charge.  These are: creating excellent places, adjacencies, firm committals, producing housing, minimum scale of housing, programming housing, parking, home business, live/work housing, open space and identity.

Design spent much of its meeting time thinking about the levels of input the MMUTF may provide, and settled on focusing on design ideas to include in the amendment to the Comprehensive Plan.  Some of the ideas mentioned include integration and/or buffering to the existing context and neighborhood, interaction of uses within a development (such as how commercial, retail, housing, open space and transit interact), being located within a half-mile walking distance to jobs, school, recreation, other services, a variety of housing types, meeting certain “sustainability” criteria, relationship to the street and pedestrians, respect for historical patterns and precedents, being close to transit and/or on an infill site. These and more design ideas will continue to be discussed and weighed.

Outreach proposed a major city-wide event aimed at reaching as many residents, businesses and community organizations as possible to be held on July 29, 2010. The purpose is to let the public know of the work the MMUTF is undertaking, and to get input, comments and concerns heard early in the process.

The MMUTF meets as a whole every other week, with the subgroups meeting in between those meetings.  The next meeting will be on July 15 at 6:30 pm at City Hall.