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Council approves PCD zone change to enable 220-unit affordable single-family subdivision with increased open space
Summary
Washington City Council unanimously approved Zone Change Z-25-18 on Sept. 24, allowing a revised PCD that increases open space and permits 220 single-family homes designed to be more affordable.
Washington City Council on Sept. 24 unanimously approved Zone Change Z-25-18, a revision to a Planned Community Development (PCD) on Telegraph Street and Countryway intended to support a more affordable single-family housing subdivision.
Community Development Director Eldon Gibb and staff described the proposal as a joint project involving the State Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA / Trust Lands Administration), Cole West (developer), and Washington City to produce more affordable single-family homes. The applicants requested a reduction in the developable footprint from 91.49 acres to 38.28 acres (a 53.21-acre reduction) and an increase in open space from 97.35 acres to 150.56 acres. The revised plan increases the approved unit count from 135 to 220.
Gibb said the change removes a secondary roadway that previously crossed a floodway and would have required a bridge; removing the crossing and the secondary road reduces infrastructure costs and, staff said, helps make home prices more affordable. Lot sizes were described as roughly 4,500 to 5,500 square feet with front setbacks of 15 feet to the dwelling and 20 feet to the garage, rear setbacks of 10 feet and side setbacks of 5 feet.
Greg MacArthur of the Trust Lands Administration and Austin Chapel of American Land Consulting spoke in favor of the plan. MacArthur said SITLA is accepting a reduced purchase return to help make the project feasible and described this as part of a broader Trust Lands effort to partner with municipalities on affordable housing. He said the Trust Lands Administration and developer Cole West are taking less revenue than typical to enable lower prices. Chapel described his technical role and supported moving the project forward.
Staff and the planning commission recommended the change; the planning commission unanimously recommended approval on Sept. 17, 2025. Councilman Coates moved to approve the zone change with the findings and conditions in staff’s report; the motion carried unanimously (recorded as 6–0 in the transcript).
Why it matters: The approved PCD change is intended to produce 220 single-family, detached homes on lots of about 4,500–5,500 square feet while increasing contiguous open space and avoiding expensive infrastructure (a bridge). The city, SITLA and the developer reduced expected returns to improve affordability, a model council members described as replicable for other projects.
