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Planning staff seeks to protect single-family neighborhoods by rezoning many R2A parcels to R2
Summary
The commission voted to rezone roughly 52 identified areas now zoned R2A to R2 to remove multifamily as a permitted use where neighborhoods have already developed as single-family. Staff said the action is intended to protect neighborhood character; staff also described a public outreach plan.
Lady Kasama, planning staff, presented a citywide rezoning proposal on Feb. 25 that would convert selected properties currently zoned Residence R2A to Residence R2 where those areas already exist as single-family neighborhoods. "This rezoning is to protect the character and integrity of our existing single family neighborhoods," Kasama told commissioners.
Kasama said staff identified about 52 areas (listed in the presentation) that are currently zoned R2A but have developed as single-family neighborhoods. The rezoning would remove multifamily dwellings as a permitted use in those targeted areas; otherwise R2A and R2 share the same permitted uses. Kasama and Thomas Nunez, manager of planning and zoning services, said staff deliberately excluded undeveloped tracts or larger parcels so the rezoning would not strip property rights from owners of undeveloped land.
Commissioners asked several clarifying questions. Commissioner Kyle Collins and others asked how the city will notify affected homeowners; Nunez said planning staff is coordinating with the city communications department, council members’ newsletters and social media to inform residents and filter questions. Nunez said the office aims to use multiple outreach channels to ensure affected homeowners receive notice.
Commissioner Kyle Collins and several colleagues asked whether the change could create unintended nonconforming uses or strip rights from owners of undeveloped parcels within a rezoned neighborhood. Nunez and Kasama said staff scrubbed each neighborhood: parcels that are vacant and large enough for new development were left as R2A, and the rezoning targets only built-out single-family neighborhoods. "We don't want to presume to strip somebody's property rights," Nunez said.
After discussion the commission voted to approve the rezoning package. Staff said additional planned-unit-development or site-level proposals would return for detailed review when submitted, and that the city clerk’s office has improved the cadence of muni-code updates to keep online code and internal zoning documents aligned.
Staff described the action as a protective, "least-change" approach intended to reduce pressure for multifamily conversion inside long-established single-family areas. Planning staff will continue outreach to impacted residents.
