Council members urged city staff and developers to prioritize accessible, zero-entry units in new infill housing approved during the Sept. 15 meeting, saying such design helps an aging population and residents with disabilities. Several rezoning and plat approvals tied to infill housing were on the agenda that day.

Why it matters: Accessibility affects who can live in new housing developments over time. Council members said they want the city to push private developers to provide more accessible units up front rather than relying on post-occupancy accommodations.

Details from staff: Jill Wanerscheid, Neighborhood Services Manager, said the federal funding tied to one project requires a minimum share of accessible units. “I believe we agreed to 10%, and the 24 units. So I think, but we, I think we ended up with like 4 units, so we were above that,” Wanerscheid said. She added that half the units in that development will be on the main floor and that eligibility for permanent supportive housing also requires chronic homelessness plus a qualifying disability, so “probably several of these units will end up accessible just because that’s what we’ll need to have.”

Council emphasis and follow-up: Several council members encouraged staff and the Planning and Zoning Commission to include accessibility requirements in development agreements when the city is a funding partner. One council member said, “I just would encourage city staff to really push for and listen to and think about…holding private developers accountable,” while praising staff for exceeding minimum federal requirements in the current project.

No formal ordinance change was proposed during the meeting. Council members asked staff to continue emphasizing accessibility when federal funds or city incentives are involved and to consider whether more prescriptive standards should be included in future development agreements.

Speakers quoted in this article spoke during rezoning and planning agenda items about multiple infill projects.