Coffeyville commission approves first reading to create tiny-home overlay zone

The Coffeyville City Commission on Tuesday approved the first reading of an ordinance to add a definition for tiny homes and establish a tiny-home zoning overlay district.

Amber Dean, Coffeyville director of community development, told commissioners the only substantive change since the last version is expansion of the overlay boundaries and a color change on the map. "We are here to talk tiny homes again. So the only thing that we've really changed in the ordinance is the overlay zone," Dean said, describing new areas added to the overlay and areas staff judged to have larger lots where tiny homes "would not fit."

The ordinance adds the overlay from Overlook to the west, Inglewood Avenue, the 1400 block of West First and West Second between Buckeye and Wilkie Way, and the area around the West First substation. Dean said staff drove the neighborhoods to make the determination and that the overlay map is now red instead of pink.

Vice Mayor Van Oster moved to approve the first reading; Mayor Maples seconded. The motion carried with all members present voting aye.

Dean told commissioners applicants are waiting to submit plans once the ordinance is approved. "We have people waiting to submit their applications. We told them to wait until it was approved," she said.

The ordinance will return for a second reading before it becomes law. The commission did not discuss specific standards for tiny-home construction in detail at Tuesday's meeting; Dean and planning staff have previously worked with the planning and zoning commission on technical standards.

If passed on second reading, the overlay will apply to the mapped blocks and will change where tiny homes can be sited within the city. The commission did not adopt any amendments at Tuesday's first reading.

The measure was introduced as new business during the Aug. 26 meeting of the Coffeyville City Commission.