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City says negotiated lower TOD density, cites property purchases to limit development
Summary
City staff described efforts to limit development density near the planned transit‑oriented development (TOD), including negotiating lower permitted densities (about 10 units per acre near Main Street) and buying properties (Palm Drive, Dirksen parcel, Alexander Island) to prevent unwanted development, the city manager told the council.
City officials said on May 21 that the city has been actively negotiating and acquiring property to shape future development intensity in and around the planned transit‑oriented development (TOD).
The city manager told the council that while the TOD core is permitted under the land-use framework at up to 32 units per acre (with edges at about 20 units per acre), negotiations with developers and site-specific decisions have reduced expected intensity. “Just to let you know how we've been working and negotiating with our development, our TOD, particularly around Main Street, we had negotiated down to about 10 units an acre,” the city manager said.
Council and staff also discussed several property acquisitions the city has made to prevent certain residential developments: staff cited purchases on Palm Drive (to block a proposed townhome project), a 35-acre Dirksen parcel that contained wetlands and a previously proposed small-lot subdivision, and Alexander Island (previously proposed for roughly 60 homes). The city manager said those purchases were made to prevent development in sensitive areas and to reduce overall density pressure.
Stephen Bap’s earlier presentation noted the city’s focus on a TOD around the SunRail station and mapped core, outside-core and transitional areas; slides showed that some parcels inside the theoretical core had lower-than-maximum permitted densities in practice because approvals and negotiated agreements have reduced realized intensity.
Council members said the adjustments reflected the council’s policy preferences on preserving neighborhood character while still enabling transit-oriented development in concentrated locations. Staff said the negotiated lower densities and targeted land purchases will be part of the comprehensive-plan implementation discussion at future hearings.
