Joint workshop: planning commission and council prioritize comp‑plan update, development standards and R3 zoning to address historic small lots

Leavenworth City Council met jointly with the Planning Commission on Jan. 14 for a docket-ranking workshop and to discuss priority code updates. Planning staff said the comprehensive plan update and revisions to development standards are legally required by 2026 and therefore top work items.

The council and commission discussed housing-focused items: inclusionary zoning (which would require a nexus study before adoption), missing-middle housing and measures to permit triplexes and two accessory dwelling units (ADUs) per lot. Planning staff showed maps indicating large areas of historic plats with narrow lots—many 30–50 feet wide—currently zoned RL-6 with a 6,000-square-foot lot standard and minimum lot widths that render those parcels nonconforming. Staff and commissioners said creating an R3 zoning district to match historic lot dimensions would make those lots conforming and increase flexibility for infill, accessory units and cottage housing. Council members expressed support but asked staff to consider alternatives such as targeted changes to dimensional standards and to ensure wildfire and infrastructure impacts are considered.

The commission also noted parking regulation gaps in downtown commercial zones and discussed options such as off-site parking fees. Both bodies agreed to prioritize the comp-plan update and development standard revisions while slotting other items (triplexes, ADUs, inclusionary zoning) into the docket where time allows.