The Milton City Council on July 7 adopted Ordinance 21 16-25, amending Municipal Code Title 16 to establish procedures and standards for unit lot subdivisions, short plats and binding site plans, a change council members said is intended to increase homeownership options. The measure passed 4-2.

The ordinance creates a local framework for unit lot subdivisions (a state-recognized form of parceling where individual dwelling units can be sold while common areas remain jointly owned), clarifies expiration timelines for short and long plats, and expands required content on recorded binding site plans. Director Stellnecker presented the proposal, saying the changes aim to "increase the supply and affordability of homeownership" and to provide criteria the city previously lacked.

The planning commission recommended the amendments after a public hearing. Under the adopted rules: short subdivisions (commonly 4 lots) follow a one-year final-recording deadline, while larger long plats may follow a five-year timeline; unit lot subdivisions are treated under the appropriate short- or long-plat procedures; and binding site plan requirements now list specific items that must appear on the recorded face of a plan.

A resident, Clay Howard, raised parking concerns during public comment: "If people sell these corners of their lots, I'm concerned about parking. We have that problem just up here at Diamond Street." Director Stellnecker and other council members responded that parking and other site-specific standards remain governed by existing ADU, townhouse and multifamily rules. Stellnecker said the city's ADU rules require one parking space per bedroom and limit ADUs to two bedrooms; she added, "The parking regulation is the same regardless." The council also noted that ADUs approved under the city's ADU code pay impact fees: 50% of traffic, park and school impacts for each ADU and 100% for the primary house or for duplexes, as explained during the discussion.

Council members and staff addressed several implementation details asked by members of the public and council. Key clarifications included: driveways associated with unit-lot subdivisions must follow existing curb-cut rules (maximum 20-foot width for a standard curb cut), property owners are normally not required to supply a boundary survey for single-family or ADU submissions (surveys are required in many larger multifamily or complex applications), and fire and emergency access standards are applied on a case-by-case basis (the code requires a minimum 20-foot access width with 14 feet of pavement in some single-family access situations, and the fire department reviews specific boundary adjustments or access designs).

Council discussion also covered setbacks and conversions of older structures. Stellnecker said existing structures built before the ADU code adoption date (noted in discussion as January 2025) may be converted under prior conditions even if they do not meet the new 25-foot rear setback, which is required for new construction. The council left the planning commission's short-subdivision threshold at four lots, with allowance for up to two common-owned tracts for critical areas, stormwater or open space.

The motion to adopt Ordinance 21 16-25 was moved by Council member Cedar and seconded by Council member White; the council recorded the motion and a subsequent roll-call vote that resulted in the ordinance's approval by a 4-2 margin. The adoption followed public comment and detailed staff explanation; no additional conditions or amendments were adopted on the floor.

Why it matters: council members framed the change as a tool to meet local housing objectives in the comprehensive plan, including adding "middle housing" options and making smaller, saleable units available to buyers who cannot afford large single-family homes. Supporters described unit-lot subdivisions as an option to diversify housing types without concentrating density into large apartment blocks; opponents and some commenters focused on parking, emergency access, and utility placement concerns.

Looking ahead: staff said the ordinance gives the city specific discretionary standards it previously lacked when unit lot subdivisions were proposed under state law. Several council members and staff told colleagues they would follow up with planning and fire department details for particular projects and would provide additional information on utilities and access where residents raised site-specific concerns.