By Tom Blodgett | YourValley
Gilbert Town Council unanimously approved Jan. 24 adding mixed-use zoning designations to the town’s land development code.
Along with the approval of mixed use/small, mixed use/large and mixed use/regional zoning, council approved design guidelines for future mixed-use developments. The differences among the districts are on items like allowable height, density of development and size of lot.
The town defines mixed use as a development plan that integrates two or more distinct types of uses into a cohesive, pedestrian-oriented environment, with a variety of new public and semi-public spaces. The different districts allow for the developments to vary in scale from individual buildings to large regional-scale developments.
Previously, mixed-use developments could be approved under existing zoning designations. Examples in town include Epicenter at Agritopia and Verde at Cooley Station, both of which are still putting retail uses in. Epicenter has a vertical development of lofts above ground-floor retail. Verde is a horizontal development that includes retail, medical offices and apartments.