Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Code topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City adopts comprehensive rewrite of Millcreek land‑use code to streamline rules and encourage design flexibility
Summary
The City Council voted unanimously to repeal Titles 18 and 19 and adopt a revised Title 18 (Millcreek Land Use Code), consolidating standards, clarifying procedures and adding affordable‑housing incentives; the code will take effect May 19 with authority for the planning director to correct non‑substantive errors.
The Millcreek City Council unanimously adopted a comprehensive rewrite of its land‑use regulations on April 28, repealing two legacy code chapters and enacting a consolidated Title 18 that the planning staff described as shorter, clearer and more user friendly.
Planning Director Francis (last name on file) told the council the rewrite compresses and reorganizes the older Title 18 and Title 19 into a single, streamlined document. The new code standardizes land‑use definitions, procedures and graphics, and incorporates updated parking, landscape and residential‑compatibility standards. It also adds developer incentives the city says will advance its affordable‑housing plan.
Developers and architects who have worked in the city praised the change during public comment. Developer Russ Sorensen said the revised code gives designers more flexibility and will encourage architectural diversity in the city center, allowing for products such as ownership‑style condos in mixed‑use buildings that earlier rules made difficult. Francis told the council the rewrite reduces repetition in the municipal code and places engineering standards and procedures in clearer chapters.
The council approved a motion to enact the ordinance with a narrow administrative amendment: the planning director is authorized to make typographical, formatting and cross‑reference corrections that do not change substance, and will submit a short report to the council listing any such edits. The ordinance sets May 19 as the effective date to allow staff time to update web resources and the planning portal.
Ending: Council members described the adoption as the culmination of a two‑and‑a‑half‑year effort that included community council input and planning‑commission review; staff will distribute guidance to applicants and update fees and the online portal before the code takes effect.
