Sec. 656.361.9. - Downtown Development Review Board.

There is hereby established within the DIA, a Downtown Development Review Board (DDRB) to assist the DIA in its duties. The DDRB staff is housed within the DIA, thus "DDRB staff" and "DIA staff" may be used interchangeably. See also Section 55.110 , Ordinance Code. A. Membership. The DDRB shall consist of 20 members, nine voting members and 11 ex officio members, who shall be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council to serve staggered terms of two years. Members of the DDRB shall continue in office for the terms of their respective office or until their qualified successors have been appointed or confirmed. No member appointed to the committee for three consecutive full terms shall be eligible for appointment to the next succeeding term. At each regularly scheduled July meeting, the DDRB members shall elect a chairperson to serve as such for that annual term. In addition, there shall be 11 ex officio members who shall serve in connection with matters which require their technical or professional expertise. The DDRB shall consist of the following: 1. Voting members. Voting members shall serve for a term of two years commencing on July 1. The architects, landscape architect and contractor, developer or realtor terms as listed in subsection 656.361.9 (1)(a)—(c) shall commence in even years; and the downtown property owners' terms and the urban planners' terms as listed in subsection 656.361.9 (1)(d) and (e) shall commence in odd years. Nothing herein shall effect partial terms or unexpired terms. Notwithstanding the above, these positions shall serve as follows: (a) Two architects, for an initial term of one year and thereafter for a two year term; (b) One landscape architect, for an initial term of one year and thereafter for a two year term; (c) One contractor, developer or realtor who does work within the downtown area, for an initial term of one year and thereafter for a term of two years; (d) Three downtown property owners or owners of or full time employees at a business or professional office as defined in Part 16 of this Chapter 656 , located within the downtown area, for an initial term of two years; and (e) Two urban planners, for an initial term of two years; 2. Ex officio nonvoting members: (a) Building Official, or designee; (b) Traffic Engineer, or designee; (c) Director, DIA, or designee; (d) Director, Planning and Development Department, or designee; (e) The City Council President, or designee; (f) Chairman, Downtown Vision, Inc., or designee; (g) Director of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, or designee; (h) Chairman, Jacksonville Waterways Commission, or designee; (i) Chairman, Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission, or designee; (j) Chairman, First Coast Transportation Planning Organization, or designee, and (k) Chairman, Duval County School Board, or designee. (l) Each ex officio member shall become a member of the DDRB immediately upon assuming their office or position listed above and shall remain a member for as long as they continue to hold that office or position or until they designate in writing another individual. B. Organization and Proceedings. 1. The DDRB shall adopt rules and procedures necessary for the conduct of its affairs. Five voting members shall constitute a quorum. With a quorum, the majority vote of those members present shall be necessary to take any action. 2. No member shall serve more than three consecutive full terms. A vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. All members shall serve without compensation. 3. Members shall continue in office for the term of their respective office, or until they are reappointed and confirmed, or until their qualified successors have been appointed and confirmed. 4. If any appointed member fails to attend three consecutive meetings without cause and prior approval of the chairman or for any other reason of just cause, that member shall be subject to removal by the Mayor. 5. Any member may resign from the DDRB by tendering a resignation in writing to the Office of the Mayor with a copy to the Chair of the DDRB and the DIA Director. C. Powers and Duties. DIA shall have the responsibility and authority to approve any amendments to the Downtown Design Guidelines, recommend and review proposed changes to the Downtown District Regulations, interpret the BID Plan, approve development and redevelopment projects within the Downtown Overlay Zone, and succeed to all of the powers of the former Downtown Development Authority. In order to assist the DIA in carrying out this responsibility, the DDRB shall have the following powers and duties: 1. To review and make decisions with respect to all applications for development and redevelopment regarding use and form within the Downtown Overlay Zone to: (a) To ensure consistency and compatibility of all proposed development and redevelopment with the BID Plan; (b) To ensure consistency with the Central Business District Future Land Use Category as described in the Future Land Use Element of the City's adopted Comprehensive Plan and Public Facility Level of Service Standards identified in the Capital Improvements Element of the Comprehensive Plan; and (c) To consider the design related issues of each application to ensure compliance with these Downtown District Regulations, the Downtown Design Guidelines, The Riverwalk Park Design Criteria, the Downtown Streetscape Design Guidelines, and all related approved design guidelines and standards, subject always to the ultimate authority of the DIA to interpret the BID Plan, the Downtown Overlay Zone, and Downtown Design Guidelines; 2. To periodically review and make recommendations as necessary to the DIA with respect to these Downtown District Regulations, the Downtown Design Guidelines, the Downtown Streetscape Design Guidelines, and the Riverwalk Park Design Criteria and related development standards and guidelines, including proposed amendments or revisions thereto. Any amendments to the Downtown Design Guidelines shall be recommended by the DDRB for adoption by the DIA. Any proposed amendments to the Downtown District Regulations, the Downtown Streetscape Design Guidelines, and the Riverwalk Park Design Criteria shall be recommended by the DDRB for recommendation to the DIA, who in turn may recommend to the City Council for adoption; and 3. To review and make decisions regarding requests for zoning exceptions, zoning variances, and other zoning requests, and to review and make recommendations regarding rezonings, including companion Future Land Use Map amendments, pertaining to properties located within the Downtown Overlay Zone that would otherwise be heard by the Planning Commission. However, the Planning Commission remains the Local Planning Agency for matters related to the Comprehensive Plan, including but not limited to Future Land Use Map and text amendments. For rezonings within the Downtown Overlay that have a companion Future Land Use Map amendment, both the Planning Commission and DDRB shall review and make recommendations to the City Council and the DIA, as the case may be; and 4. To hear appeals from decisions of the DDRB staff; and 5. To approve requests for Deviations from the Design Guidelines and the District Regulations, other than the Waterfront Design and Riverviews: setbacks, height and access corridors (subsection 656.361.6.2.H), and Creek Views and Creekfront Design (subsection 656.361.6.2.I) and Grid Pattern (subsection 656.361.6.2.E). With respect to Deviation requests from these subsections, the DDRB shall hear and make an advisory recommendation to City Council regarding such Deviation requests. (Ord. 2019-196-E , § 6; Ord. 2020-695-E , § 3; Ord. 2022-383-E , § 1)