Planning Board Forms Committee to Look at Uses in CRBD

The Planning Board decided Monday night to form a committee to investigate and consider additional and temporary uses in the Central Retail Business District.

Zoning Officer Christa Anderson was in attendance to explain a memo she put together on her initial thoughts on additional and temporary uses in the CRBD.

Anderson said she looked at several "trendy cities" to see if there were uses they were allowing that Summit was not and she while there were a few, there were actually more uses Summit allows than many.

Summit's longtime zoning officer said this investigation into uses in the CRBD, a district that was only formed in 1987, is being driven by the public's interest in enlivening the CRBD and finding ways to make it better overall.

One potential additional use Anderson preliminarily discussed is that of tutoring business on the first floor.

Anderson said in her view that use fits in with the pedestrian, strolling district the city is aiming to foster. Teens walking downtown to other establishments might stop in a tutoring center to get help on homework or get extra study help for an upcoming test. Anderson also pointed out many parents wouldn't go home for less than an hour after dropping off a child at a tutoring center and would most likely spend time in the downtown while waiting.

"I don't have a problem with that being on the first floor," she said.

City Planner Eileen Banyra also suggested the committee look into re-evaluating the signage allowed downtown. Currently, no perpendicular signs are permitted nor signage above the first floor but these may be things the committee should consider changing.

"I personally find it a little more lively," Banyra said in regards to signs that stick out from the store fronts, not lay flat on the building.

Anderson added the currently business are not allowed to put up banners or balloons or have any type of special events, including  grand opening celebrations.

"That's really not business friendly," she said. "We don't have any mechanism for business owners to be creative and think in that way."

A discussion of possibly allowing temporary uses, such as art galleries and political offices, was also entertained and brought up as a topic of the committee to consider.

"I think that's a fabulous idea," Chairman Jeff Wagenbach said.

Banyra said in her experience it is important to keep the rhythm of retail in the downtown.

More than once, she said, she has seen shoppers hit a vacant store front and turn around and not process any farther down the street.

"it's interesting the psychology of it," she said. "It's important to keep it lively."