Florence Town Council OK’s ‘robust, business-friendly reuse program’ to spur development
By Mark Cowling | Florence Reminder & Blade-Tribune
Downtown Florence
To help spur investment and development in the downtown area, the Florence Town Council approved an “Adaptive Reuse Program” offering flexibility on building and development codes on reuse projects, and ways to reduce fees.
Town staff sought input from communities throughout the state, including building officials, economic development specialists and the local International Code Council representative in writing the program. The Town Council discussed it at two work sessions, one of which included members of the Planning & Zoning Commission and Historic District Advisory Commission.
“Staff has made several modifications to the program based on the comments made at the work sessions. Most notably, staff made sure that the program would not compromise fire safety and that impact fee reductions would be carefully directed to established infill lots with existing infrastructure inside the central core area of downtown Florence, i.e. not for new subdivisions at the fringes of the Downtown,” Florence Community Development Director Mark Eckhoff wrote in a memo to the council. Continued
