After roughly 250 hours of study sessions, meetings and analysis of design review processes, the City Council put into effect an amendment to the Design Review Board’s bylaws and guidelines.

Among the actions taken as part of the amendment was the modification of the DRB’s structure from nine to seven members, including three at-large members, two licensed architects, and two licensed landscape professionals, one of whom would ideally be a licensed landscape architect.

The DRB would retain its jurisdiction over as garage conversions and major exterior remodels of multi-family projects. New signs and new commercial and industrial projects as well as new single- and multi-family developments would also fall under DRB purview.

Approvals and appeals are to be advanced to the second level of review, instead of the third.
The council voted to restrict the DRB’s capacity over city-owned facilities to an advisory level. The DRB would retain its decision-making authority, however, over private projects in the Old Town Heritage District.