Commissioners agree to remove prescriptive minimum unit sizes and clarify material/energy equivalence

Commissioners and staff agreed to recommend removing a prescriptive minimum unit square-footage table from the annexation ordinance and to instead rely on state funding standards and alternative-plan flexibility.

Discussion centered on avoiding rules that would prevent creative or smaller-unit housing types (for example, compact units or alternate construction approaches) while ensuring acceptable livability. One commissioner said they were "in support of removing it," and staff noted state standards (e.g., OHCS funding requirements) typically govern minimum unit dimensions when state dollars are involved.

On exterior materials and energy efficiency, the working group recommended replacing language that required the 'same' materials between market-rate and affordable units with wording such as 'complimentary' or 'substantially equivalent' to prevent a two-tiered appearance while preserving design flexibility and compliance with energy-code standards. Staff and commissioners favored the 'substantially equivalent' phrasing for both materials and energy systems, such as heat pumps vs. older electric heat systems, to ensure functional parity without mandating identical products.

Staff will reflect these changes in revised draft code language for the commission to review before the packet goes to council.