Summary of Recent City Government Events

By Sonnie Kirtley, COGS Board of Directors

Attending the city’s boards, commissions and city council hearings are events that we encourage you to experience. The dynamics among the city leadership and their deliberations prior to decisions on important issues cannot be captured watching on U Tube or the city video channel. COGS is physically there in those audience seats and often at the public microphone representing residents and small business owners and merchants.

Development Review Board 

On June 20, 2024 Development Review Board hearing on the agendized item, Mercado Village project at 90^th Street and Shea Blvd was held.  It was approved to go forward to the Planning Commission by a vote of 3-1.

Development Review Board (DRB) is responsible for architectural design, layout of proposed development plans for commercial development and preliminary PLATS for residential subdivision.  This includes site planning and  and the relationship of the development to the surrounding environment and the community.  DRB consists of one (1) City Council member, one (1) Planning Commission member, and five (5)  members of the public with professional experience in design, architecture or development.

Old Town Design Guidelines Update. On June 20^th your city council received a presentation from city staff. New attention will be paid on the following:

• Green shaded walkways, formal and informal seating, open space and other pedestrian improvements such as moving poles in sidewalk right of way and encouraging covered walkway design options
• Attention to transitioning building heights and designs away from Historic Old Town’s western character architectural design
• Implement the character of the unique Old Town Districts i.e. 5^th Avenue, Entertainment/Bar, Arts & Museum, and the Historic Old Town District, and Civic Center Plaza

Open Houses you can attend will be posted in July 2024 for community input. Here is the link to review now: Old Town Architectural & Design Update 2024