Council approves ordinance fixes for townhomes, allows cementitious siding as primary material in lake multifamily district

The Tuscaloosa City Council approved amendments to the city's development code that clarify townhouse lot and unit wording, restore a previous dimensional intent for townhouses, and permit cementitious siding as a primary exterior material in the lake multifamily district.

Planning staff member Mister Ponds presented the item and said the primary change restores the prior rule about townhouse proportions: "So, the first and I talked to you guys about this 1. No townhouse lot. She'll be as 1 third wide as it is deep. So, essentially, what this regulation we had it as, in our previous ordinance, we had it as no townhouse unit. And then when we created this new ordinance, the the word lot got in there. And that's been a little bit of a problem because, really, if you use the regulation the way that it's written today, you create these kind of short stubby townhomes, basically squares instead of what we intend and what we see is actually developed, which is like a rectangle." He told the council the changes mainly correct wording and footnotes to restore consistency and reduce confusion.

Ponds described a materials change that explicitly allows cementitious siding — commonly known as Hardie board siding — to be used as a primary material in the lake multifamily district. "So essentially it's a thicker siding... it's easier. It's a easier material to maintain than wood, but it's a nicer material than vinyl siding," he said, explaining why the material is appropriate for primary use in that district. Ponds noted the amendments do not create new regulations beyond the material allowance and typographic/footnote fixes. He also said the Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval. The council moved, seconded and approved the ordinance amendments by voice vote during the meeting.