City to hold information sessions on new zoning approach
Jun. 7—The city of Frederick will offer several chances in the next week to learn about a new type of zoning that planners seek to use in the redevelopment of the city's East Street corridor.
The city's mayor and aldermen will hold a workshop at 3 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall on form-based code, a type of zoning that focuses more on creating types of places or environments than on what types of uses take place inside individual buildings or properties.
The city will also host an information session on a form-based code and how it will apply to East Street at 7 p.m. at City Hall on June 14.
City workers have also begun presenting information to the city's Neighborhood Advisory Councils and other groups, according to a release from the city.
Residents are encouraged to attend the public meetings, leave comments on an interactive mapping tool, check the project page on the city's website, and contact the Division of Planning to keep up to date on the project.
While traditional zoning focuses more on the specific details of individual properties and how they can be used, form-based zoning seeks to take a more holistic and coherent approach to urban design.
It builds off established uses and areas to create a sense of place and identity through the use of streetscapes, facades, and other elements.
"Its purpose is to design a particular type of place or built environment entirely based on the community's vision and desire," according to a city staff report prepared ahead of Wednesday's workshop.
The city is working with a consultant to analyze the East Street corridor for a study funded through a $60,000 grant from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments to reinforce the vision of East Street as an urban corridor with mixed-use development and various modes of transportation.
Follow Ryan Marshall on Twitter: @RMarshallFNP
