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City staff outline housing progress and remaining gaps; code changes and lot inventory cited
Summary
Planning staff presented a housing status report April 22 summarizing seven major studies, recent code changes (ADU authorization, parking reductions, lot size reductions), and the city’s lot inventory; staff estimates several thousand units remain to meet earlier targets and described next steps including grant work and public‑private projects.
City planning staff reported April 22 on multiple studies and recent policy changes aimed at expanding housing supply and improving housing quality in Laramie, and outlined remaining gaps between current production and prior needs assessments.
Director Derek Tini told the council the presentation was intended as a status report on seven planning and housing studies — including the city’s 2015 housing study, the 2018 Albany County housing report, the Thrive Laramie economic strategy, the Laramie housing strategy and the 2024 Wyoming statewide housing needs assessment — and on actions the city has taken in response. "This housing presentation that we're gonna give here is really a status report on many of the studies and planning efforts that have been done," Director Tini said.
Staff summarized recent code and procedural changes aimed at increasing feasible housing production: permitting accessory dwelling units in single‑family zoning districts; reducing parking requirements across zoning districts; reducing minimum lot sizes, setbacks and lot widths; providing online permitting and published schedules; and creating an urban renewal authority and TIF pathway that can fund infrastructure. Staff also described a new rental‑housing licensing and enforcement program: as of the meeting staff reported 1,521 licensed contractors representing 4,509 dwelling units and 23 complaints filed under the rental code process.
Supply and pipeline figures presented to council included roughly 129 build‑ready lots, about 669 preliminary‑plat lots (preliminary plat approvals awaiting final plat and infrastructure), and 822 housing units constructed in Laramie between 2015 and 2024. City staff and the city manager said those changes reduced the shortfall since 2015 but do not meet the total need identified in the 2015 study; discussion at the meeting put the remaining estimate at roughly 2,600 units that would be required to reach the earlier 2030 target once pipeline assumptions are accounted for.
City Manager Jordan and Assistant City Manager Feuser described near‑term work to convert city‑owned parcels into demonstration projects (North Fourth Street and the Slade Elementary property) and to pursue public‑private partnerships; Jordan also said staff applied for grant support to fund a housing administration/coordinator function to “lubricate” housing development and recruit experienced developers. The city manager said the city applied for roughly $24,000 in grant funds to help staff a housing coordination role.
Staff and councilors discussed constraints the city cannot directly control — state funding levels, construction material cost volatility, and availability of developer capital and skilled labor — and actions the city can take to reduce local barriers: refine code (building and zoning), prepare shovel‑ready city parcels, and coordinate public engagement through the comprehensive‑plan update that begins next month.
Clarifying details provided at the session include: • Build‑ready lots: ~129 (platted, infrastructure ready to build). • Preliminary lots: ~669 (preliminary plat approved; final plat or infrastructure remaining). • Units built 2015–2024: 822 (611 single‑family; 108 multifamily reported in staff figures through 2024). • Rental licensing: 1,521 licenses representing 4,509 dwelling units; 23 complaints processed under rental‑housing code enforcement to date.
Councilors asked for more clarity on pipeline assumptions and timing; staff noted the comprehensive‑plan update — expected to take about a year — will include public engagement that can further refine policy decisions. Director Tini said many of the changes recommended by previous studies have been implemented, but additional focused work and partnerships will be needed to close the remaining gap.
A public question during the housing portion asked whether soil conditions remain a constraint; Director Tini said soil quality can affect construction but modern foundation techniques and engineering solutions allow developers to mitigate many soil issues. No formal council action was taken on the housing report; staff asked council for continued direction on code changes and on use of city parcels in partnership projects.
