Plans for creative maker district move ahead in Fredericksburg

The Fredericksburg City Council has opened public comments regarding a set of resolutions to make a new  Creative Maker Zone a reality.

The creative maker district would span an over 78-acre area of Downtown Fredericksburg which would encompass the Area 6 district, which lies between the Rappahannock River and the Rappahannock Canal and would include Princess Anne Street as well as where Princess Anne and Route 1 intersect.

If approved, businesses like building materials sales, open-air markets, contractor offices, general industrial services, and repair, light manufacturing would all be allowed. Today, those types of businesses would need to seek a special-use permit in order to open.

While plans for the new district have been in the works for the past three years, it’s been in the last six months that some new touches have been added to the plan. During a Planning Commission meeting on March 11, speakers voiced opinions about the creative maker district.

One speaker representing the Canal Quarter Neighborhood Association expressed desires for open spaces, accessibility, adaptive reuse of historic structures as well as concerns about higher residential density.

A representative of the Friends of the Rappahannock had similar concerns regarding residential density and how to encourage that community’s growth.

There was also a comment regarding the status of ordinances for automotive service businesses. There are several such businesses along the intersection of Princess Anne Street and Route 1 which include Little Tire Company and Pitt’s Automotive.

The concern brought up was that the existing automotive businesses are already conformed to “by-right” permits which would be changed to special use permits once the area was rezoned into the Creative Maker space.

These and other comments made by the public boiled down to five items on which the Planning Commission would base a new regulatory structure. Those five items included Smart Growth and residential density, citizen participation in the development process, the form-based code use and transitional zones, open space, and encouraging adaptive reuse of structures,

The solution that was decided on by the Planning Commission was to bring the Creative Maker District and form-based regulations together into the unified development Ordinance. This ordinance is designed to bring the district to life while addressing the concerns and input made by the public.

The public comment period will close by September 8. Afterward, the City Council will decide on the creative Maker District as well as the unified development ordinance at that night’s Council meeting.