A proposal to add a "village mixed use" district to the zoning ordinance for downtown Mathews was the topic of much of the discussion during the Mathews Planning Commission’s meeting on April 19.

Planning and zoning director John Shaw gave some background for his suggested changes, explaining that there might be uses for property that would be appropriate to the Court House area, which is zoned B-2, but that wouldn’t necessarily apply to parcels zoned B-2 in such areas as Port Haywood, Hudgins or Cobbs Creek.

Shaw gave as examples forestry and agriculture, which are permitted uses in B-2 districts that don’t apply to downtown parcels. In addition, he said, the residential density that might be appropriate for downtown might not be suitable for other areas of the county, and he pointed out that Mathews Court House is the only area served by public sewer.

Shaw asked commissioners to consider such questions as whether they would prefer to create a new d...