The city of Campbell is planning to create a committee tasked with figuring out how to attract different types of businesses to the restaurant-heavy downtown.

On Aug. 15 the city council unanimously decided to create a sub committee that will discuss topics regarding the downtown, such as what businesses could be added, what streets would be appropriate for such businesses, and how to address signage and parking.

The city has been working since May discussing how to bring more commercial uses to the downtown as restaurants continue to dominate the landscape there. The city has considered amending the zoning code to allow different types of businesses.

“Someone expressed a belief that we are losing our retail and it is being replaced with restaurants,” community development director Paul Kermoyan told the council. “And actually vitality really wasn’t the issue, at least that’s what we understood because there is a lot of people downtown. Having an ad hoc committee work with staff is a good idea. This conversation is evolving and maybe it should be organically evolving.”

City staff recommended new types of shops and uses that could be added to the downtown such as bed and breakfast inns, hardware shops, pet supply stores and ATM machines.

“We were thinking of the building that is on Central Avenue adjacent to the museum,” said senior planner Daniel Fama. “That’s a historic building that could potentially be converted into a bed and breakfast inn one day.”

According to the staff report, the city is also considering ways to attract music stores, photography studios/supply shops, wine stores with tastings, makerspaces, artisan stores with a small-scale assembly facility.

In 2015, three downtown retail businesses closed. European Cobblery, a business that specialized in shoe repair and retail, closed last fall. The vintage clothing store 23 Skidoo relocated from the East Campbell Avenue strip last year. Since then, only a handful of retail stores have opened.

The downtown also includes clothing boutiques, a bookstore, a floral shop, two furniture stores and a fireplace company.

“You guys are going to determine whether it is going to be a success or fail,” Steepers owner, Julie Davey told the council. “We have the infrastructure in place to make (the downtown) wonderful to millennials that are going to grow up and bring their kids to downtown Campbell. I really want you to think hard. Think long and hard about what you are going to do for the future.”

Although the council did not discuss signage and parking during last week’s meeting, city staff suggested allowing flexibility to the city’s sign code. In the report, staff suggested eliminating the parking exception for restaurants. If eliminated, a restaurant would be required to provide parking in accordance with how many seats are planned.