Planning staff told the Mount Shasta Planning Commission that the city is exploring ways to help property owners convert rental apartment buildings into condominium units, pursue a variety of affordable housing types and advance redevelopment of the city-owned Landing (the former mill site).

Commissioners heard that staff are reviewing development and fire-safety rules, preparing outreach and model documents for property owners, and coordinating with state officials on possible adjustments to state fire requirements that affect conversions.

The effort matters because staff said local housing demand and prices are increasing while some residents and property owners want options to buy units currently operated as rentals. Staff described the work as part of a yearlong, multi-step update of development standards and long-range planning to increase housing supply and diversify housing types in Mount Shasta.

Planning staff said the conversion work would include clarifying the condominium map and recordation process and offering guidance to property owners who approach the city about converting rental units to sellable condominium units. Staff also said they will review related code changes and bring finished text back to the commission if revisions are needed. Staff noted that some discussions have taken place with “Melanie” (name given in the meeting) about details; the role of Melanie was not specified in the transcript.

Commissioners and members of the public discussed examples and possible locations for conversions, including small apartment buildings and older properties such as a former hospital referenced in the meeting as “Laurel Crest.” A member of the public raised household income figures while describing affordability pressures; that figure was presented by the speaker as $34,000 as a median individual income but the transcript did not identify a data source for that number.

Staff also updated the commission on several related matters: they reported that all available city cannabis business licenses are currently allocated and that ownership changes have produced new applications for permit review; they described ongoing construction and management issues at the Danville project (staff said crews have encountered unexpected water during site work and staff are coordinating with the developer to resolve pauses and gaps in construction management); and they said the city has received inquiries about redevelopment of an empty Rite Aid building in a commercially zoned area.

On the Landing site — the old mill property that the city owns — staff said the property has been cleaned under a Brownfields-style process and that leftover EPA grant funds remain for further work. Staff said the city issued an availability notice under the state surplus land process and received one response from a local developer. The city is within a 90-day negotiation period with that developer; if no agreement is reached, staff said the surplus property process would proceed to open the site for other offers consistent with state requirements. Staff indicated the city intends to use leftover EPA funds to pay for a master plan for the Landing and that any redevelopment solicitation would prioritize proposals including an affordable-housing component as required by the state surplus-land priority (as described by staff in the meeting).

Staff summarized next steps as continued outreach to property owners and the public, drafting ordinance text and technical updates (including a noise-ordinance update and a safety-element update), and bringing specific code changes to the commission and ultimately to the city council. Staff said they will return with drafts of proposed ordinance language and additional details as work progresses.

No formal motions or votes on ordinances or land-sale agreements were taken during the discussion recorded in the transcript. Commission members and staff emphasized this stage is mainly planning, public outreach and drafting rather than final decisions.

The commission meeting also included routine updates on public works projects, stormwater, and community cleanup volunteer opportunities; staff said they will report back next month with summaries of current public-works improvements.

The discussion closed with staff saying they will continue to “chip away” at the housing updates over the coming year, and that public engagement and further drafts will be brought back to the commission for review.