Iowa City planners recommend amendments to form-based zoning code; commission forwards changes to council 6–0

Iowa City planning staff presented a package of proposed text amendments to the form-based zones and standards in Title 14 — and corresponding, informational updates to Title 15 — aimed at clarifying standards, removing barriers to development and improving implementation. The Planning & Zoning Commission voted 6–0 to recommend the proposed zoning code amendments to City Council.

Rachel Schafer, associate planner, said the form-based code adopted in 2021 has produced little development and that feedback from developers indicated parts of the code were unclear or impractical. Staff proposed changes across multiple topics to improve feasibility and plan-review clarity, and to better align the form-based code with real-world construction and market realities.

Key proposed changes described by staff included: reducing minimum side-yard setbacks in the T3NE and T3NG zones from 10 and 7 feet, respectively, to 5 feet to match other form-based zones; allowing accessory-structure side setbacks for parking (for duplex side-by-side and attached townhome building types) to be reduced to zero where used for parking; increasing wing (attached addition) maximum dimensions from 20x20 to 24x24 feet and creating exemptions to the wing-offset requirement in interior locations; allowing larger single-story, rear-loaded duplex main-body dimensions (up to 60 feet wide and 70 feet deep) to support ranch-style duplexes; increasing cottage-core building depth to 30 feet and cottage-court lot depth to 200 feet; lowering the first-floor glazing minimum from 30 percent to 15 percent with a minimum of one window per building side and exempting attached garages from the glazing requirement; simplifying porch measurement language and reducing minimum porch clear width/depth to 12 by 6 feet; increasing the allowed depth of recessed entries for dooryard and stoop frontages to 3 feet; clarifying stoop elevation language to use average finish grade along the frontage and explicitly allowing a sloped walkway as an accessible alternative to ramps; reducing the required minimum distance between driveways from 40 feet to 20 feet; clarifying that driveway width is measured at the property line and keeping a 12-foot maximum at the property line for front-loaded driveways while providing an administrative adjustment route to increase driveway width to 18 feet for access to parking for buildings with three or more units when alley access is infeasible; and establishing administrative adjustment criteria for lot depth/width and block-size standards to respond to sensitive areas, topography, existing streets, block sizes of abutting neighborhoods and other unique site conditions.

Schafer said staff prepared a user guide to accompany the amendments to help applicants and reviewers interpret form-based requirements and that some changes will be implemented alongside Title 15 subdivision adjustments. Staff told the commission the proposed amendments further goals in the IC 2030 comprehensive plan and the South and Southwest District plans by encouraging a mix of housing types and pedestrian-sensitive design while allowing practical flexibility.

Developer Gina Landau of Navigate Homes, who said she had worked with staff and the city for over a year on some of the proposed changes, supported lowering the glazing requirement to 15 percent (with the garage exemption) and said her firm’s sample plans produced ground-floor glazing in the 11–15 percent range once garages were excluded. She praised staff for outreach and for a user guide intended to make the code more usable for builders.

Commissioners discussed several provisions at length. Multiple commissioners expressed concern about lowering the first-floor glazing minimum from 30 percent to 15 percent, particularly for street-facing facades, and asked staff for visual examples of how 15 percent would look on different elevations. Staff said they reviewed developers’ submitted elevations and that submitted plans ranged from below 15 percent to about 20 percent; staff added the 1-window-per-side minimum to avoid entirely blank facades on any side. Commissioners also discussed porch/stoop elevation rules and accessibility; staff noted some frontage types allow zero-entry porches and that the proposed stoop language permits a sloped walkway to provide accessibility while maintaining an elevated stoop condition.

On parking and driveways commissioners noted the 12-foot driveway width measured at the property line can feel narrow when paired with wider garage doors; staff explained that the form-based code intentionally favors rear-loaded garages and alley access and that administrative adjustments would be available where alley access is not feasible. Several commissioners said they would support the package despite reservations about specific items and encouraged staff to provide more visual before-and-after examples for the glazing standard in future materials.

After public comment and further brief discussion the commission moved, seconded and voted 6–0 to recommend the zoning code amendments (rezoning case REZ25-0002) to the City Council for consideration. Staff indicated Council action will follow the Planning & Zoning Commission recommendation and that Title 15 subdivision code changes were included in the packet for informational purposes.

The transcript records multiple specifics staff expects to carry forward in the code language; the measures are technical text amendments rather than new programs and do not appropriate city funds.

The Planning & Zoning Commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to City Council for formal consideration and possible ordinance adoption.