The purpose of the Commercial Redevelopment District legislation is to create the type of planning and zoning flexibility which is necessary to stimulate the revitalization of abandoned, vacant or underutilized commercial shopping center, bowling alley and health club properties. This type of sound planning is designed to achieve economically beneficial and socially desirable redevelopment which is more creative and imaginative in its land use and design than is possible under the more rigid, Euclidean and conventional regulations currently in place. The Commercial Redevelopment District is envisioned to guide redevelopment patterns that are civic-oriented, pedestrian-friendly, economically vibrant, environmentally sustainable, and that evoke a unique sense of place. The intent of the Town Board is to enact zoning which can be used as a positive redevelopment planning tool that will:
A. Stimulate the revitalization of abandoned, vacant or underutilized, commercial shopping center, bowling alley and health club properties.
B. Encourage flexibility in site and architectural design.
C. Maintain a consistently high level of design quality.
D. Encourage redevelopment that blends a combination of residential, commercial, cultural, or institutional uses.
E. Offer the opportunity for a balanced array of housing designed to meet the needs of the Town and the region.
F. Encourage redevelopment that is characterized by compact, pedestrian-oriented developments that provide a variety of uses, diverse housing types, and are anchored by a central public space and civic activity.
G. Encourage redevelopment that is walkable, affordable, accessible, distinctive and, in Brookhaven, true to the significant character and context of each community and/or hamlet.
H. Recognize that public and private spaces have equal importance, creating a balanced community that serves a wide range of home and business owners.
I. Encourage the inclusion of civic buildings and civic space, in the form of plazas, greens, parks and squares, that enhances community identity and value.
J. Encourage the efficient provision and delivery of governmental services, including educational, cultural, recreational and emergency services.
The Commercial Redevelopment District shall only apply to existing abandoned, vacant or underutilized:
A. Commercial shopping center properties over five acres in size.
B. Bowling alley properties over five acres in size.
C. Health club properties over five acres in size.
D. Commercial shopping center, bowling or health club properties over five acres in size, where the buildings have been demolished and removed.