Development within the Special Downtown District shall be exempt from the site plan review process; provided, however, that any construction of new structures within the Special Downtown District and/or any change to an existing structure or use within the Special Downtown District shall be subject to the site plan review process unless the Planning and Development Director, after consultation with the Director of Building, Zoning, and Licensing Services, the Commissioner of Public Works, the Fire Chief, the Police Chief, the Economic Development Director, and one representative from the Planning Board appointed by the Board Chair, certifies in writing to the Planning Board that such proposed construction or change will have no significant adverse impact on the Special Downtown District.

Existing structures and uses are exempt from the parking and loading requirements contained in Article 26 of this chapter.

New structures and uses, including changes to existing structures and uses, shall be subject to the parking and loading requirements contained in Article 26 of this chapter; provided, however, that where a public parking facility is available within 400 feet of a structure or use, the specific parking requirements may be determined by the Director of Building, Zoning, and Licensing Services (or the Planning Board in the case of projects that are referred to the Board) on an individual basis. For the purposes of this subsection, the term "public parking facility" means a publicly owned off-street parking facility for 10 or more vehicles.

The Planning Board shall be notified within 10 days of all projects being reviewed pursuant to this article. At the request of any Planning Board member, any project that has been reviewed, or is being reviewed, under this article may be referred to the full Planning Board for regular site plan review. In the event that a Planning Board member requests in writing that a project be referred to the Planning Board for regular site plan review, the Planning Board shall, within 30 days of the date of the notification provided for in this subsection, vote as to whether or not regular site plan review of such project shall be required.

There are no planning application fees or monumentation fees charged for any projects located in the Special Downtown District (whether reviewed administratively or referred to the Planning Board).