Planning commission tables Ordinance 5-62 on housing affordability for further drafting

HARRISVILLE, April 9, 2025 — The Harrisville Planning Commission voted to table Ordinance 5-62, the city\'s proposed housing-affordability ordinance, after an extended discussion about how to define affordability, what design standards the city should require, and how to balance developer viability with the ordinance\'s pricing limits.

Commissioners and staff said they want the ordinance to use the affordability definition in House Bill 37 (area median income for the county), but disagreed about how many units in a project should be deed-restricted at specific AMI bands. Commissioners asked staff to return with recommended thresholds and clearer, implementable code language before the commission forwards a recommendation to city council.

Why it matters: Ordinance 5-62 would create a local mechanism to produce lower-priced single-family housing types — including so-called "cottage homes" — and could be used with development agreements to qualify projects under House Bill 37 strategies. Commissioners said language must be specific enough to guide developers yet flexible enough to keep projects financially viable.

Key points discussed included: - Affordability metric: staff recommended adopting House Bill 37\'s affordability definition tied to county area median income (AMI). Commissioners asked for scenarios showing how that metric would affect final sale prices in local market conditions. Staff provided an example calculation showing a median-based price that could be near $470,000–$480,000 given Weber County income assumptions used in the discussion. - Unit mix and caps: commissioners debated whether to require a fixed percent of units at a single AMI band or a layered approach (for example, some units at 120% AMI, some at 140%, some at market). Several commissioners expressed concern that a single stringent cap could make developments infeasible. - Design and quality standards: commissioners pushed for clear design standards so "cottage home" developments would contribute to the city\'s character and not appear as overly dense, low-quality subdivisions. Topics included minimum lot area, allowable lot frontages, required open space or connectivity to larger parks and trail networks, and limits on driveway width/curb cuts. - Implementation and exceptions: staff recommended ordinance language that describes city\'s recommended standards but allows deviations when applicants justify them "for compelling reasons," subject to public review. Commissioners asked staff to draft clearer code language that preserves discretionary review while reducing ad-hoc negotiation. - Ownership priority and deed restrictions: commissioners discussed a proposed first-right period during which critical/essential workers and first-time homebuyers would have priority for units (proposed: 30 days). Commissioners confirmed deed restrictions would require owner occupancy and prohibit corporate purchasers during the restriction period.

The commission voted to table the ordinance to give staff time to run additional pricing scenarios, tighten recommended code language, draft explicit percentages or flexible ranges for how many units must meet specified AMI bands, and provide model design illustrations. The motion to table was seconded and carried by voice vote.