Council approves general plan amendment and rezone for 5‑acre site near Northern Avenue to allow 72‑unit multifamily project

The City Council voted unanimously on Sept. 16 to adopt a minor general plan amendment and a rezoning for a roughly 5‑acre infill parcel at the Northeast corner of Northern Parkway and 80 Seventh Avenue (agenda items 14R and 15R), clearing the way for a conceptual 72‑unit multifamily project. The Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval 4‑1 before the council vote.

Why it matters: The change redesignates the property from Traditional Residential (2–5 units/acre) to Urban Residential (12+ units/acre) and rezones the parcel from Convenience Commercial (C‑1) to Multifamily Residential (RM‑1). Staff said the site’s long, narrow dimensions (approximately 1,200 feet long and 165 feet deep before right‑of‑way dedications) make it poorly suited to commercial redevelopment and that multifamily would provide a transition between nonresidential uses to the east and existing single‑family neighborhoods to the west.

Project summary: Applicant materials depict five buildings totaling 72 units (two‑thirds one‑bedroom; one‑third two‑bedroom), a mix of garage and surface parking (about 162 spaces), and two amenities clusters including a pool and a pickleball court. To address neighborhood concerns the project would limit building heights to 34 feet (a condition added after the Planning & Zoning hearing) and include a proposed cross‑access with Brighton Charter School to the east to improve circulation and student/parent movements off Northern Parkway.

Staff analysis: Planning Director Chris Hawkes said the site has been zoned commercial for more than 40 years but never redeveloped; intervening development, including a charter school and a self‑storage facility, has left the parcel constrained for typical commercial uses. Hawkes noted the applicant’s traffic study showed modest peak‑hour trip generation (about 28 AM and 26 PM peak trips) and that right‑of‑way dedications and standard access improvements would be required.

Council comments and vote: Council members asked about school access and parking and expressed concern about privacy for neighboring Somerset Village homeowners. Council Member Crawford said she generally objects to commercial land being converted to residential but that given the site constraints she would vote to approve the rezone: “I don't agree with going from commercial to residential. But in this case... due to those limitations, I believe that this is an applicable rezone, and so therefore, I'll be supporting it.” The council voted 6‑0 to approve both items.

Next steps: Staff will process site‑plan review, finalize access and landscape details, and enforce the 34‑foot height limit included in the rezoning condition. The ordinance language approved by council will be recorded and the applicant may proceed to building‑permit and site‑plan review phases.