Historic Main Street Transitional District: Purpose and Guidelines This fall, a visual preference survey was conducted on the proposed transitional district in the Historic Main Street neighborhood. In the survey, community members expressed how they would want a transitional district to look, feel, and function. Over 470 responses and 600 comments were collected.
What is a transitional district? Zoning codes set restrictions on how land is used in a neighborhood. A transitional district is a kind of zoning that promotes low-impact, small-scale, and homeownerdriven land uses. Industrial, noxious, noisy, and high-impact land uses are not allowed in the transitional district. Low-impact
Homeowner-driven
Small-scale
Passion projects
Residential character
Naturally occurring
Hyper-local
Already exist
Why is it needed? Transitional districts help stabilize rent and prevent displacement of small businesses. They also provide a smooth transition from downtown to the surrounding residential neighborhoods and allow for additional housing opportunities near the commercial center of town.