Dear Planning Commission Chair Keuth:
Downtown Voices Coalition, in a unanimous vote with one abstention, supports the City of Phoenix Planning Department staff recommendations regarding the amendment of the Zoning Ordinance to establish the Arts, Culture, and Small Business Overlay District. This amendment would accomplish three things:
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Encourage new and existing small businesses, including arts groups, art-spaces, entertainment, dining, and cultural activities, to revitalize the downtown areas included in the overlay.
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Codify and legalize existing uses in the district, while establishing parameters for those uses.
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Enable an overlay that enhances, rather than diminishes, property rights.
The continued success of First Friday, Third Friday, and the city’s goal of an expanded arts and entertainment culture in the downtown will be achieved in large part through this overlay.
Steve Weiss, Chair, Downtown Voices Coalition
Downtown Voices Coalition 