The Fountain Hills Planning and Zoning Commission will look to get a recommendation to the town council on a proposed downtown overlay zoning plan when it gathers for its monthly meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, June 9.
The staff report for the downtown discussion outlines the complexity of the underlying zoning in the downtown area, which carried over from the Maricopa County zoning map for the original development. Since incorporation, the town has looked at options for increasing residential use in the downtown as well as encouraging more dynamic business uses with an eye toward restaurant and retail uses.
Staff has highlighted potential changes to the draft the commission may consider. Those include eliminating the opportunity for a special use permit for residential use in the area defined as the Innovation District north of Palisades; increasing the allowable residential density by right in the Business and Avenue districts between Avenue of the Fountains and Palisades Boulevard; and either eliminate the use restriction along the Avenue of the Fountains related to types of businesses, or amend the ordinance to provide an option for a special use permit.
