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Commissioners debate density and form in Core Residential district; discussion of 'missing middle' townhomes
Summary
The commission discussed how to interpret the Core Residential (CR) district and whether permitting lower-density clustered attached units (side-by-side townhomes) better matches the district’s transition intent than higher-density developments.
Planning commissioners revisited the Core Residential (CR) district language and development expectations, focusing on how to allow ‘missing middle’ housing — clusters of attached single-family units — without unintentionally enabling dense, multi-unit projects.
Commissioners said CR was intended to be a softer transition between downtown and adjacent residential neighborhoods, with building heights similar to houses rather than high-rise multifamily. One commissioner said she had envisioned clusters of five or six attached units with green space and internal circulation; other commissioners expressed concern about proposals that could pack dozens of units on small parcels. “I was more so envisioning, you know, clusters of them and not like 33 highly dense, like, 1 building,” one commissioner said.
Staff and commissioners discussed whether ordinance language should better define allowable building types, lot coverage and unit counts; they asked staff to prepare clearer definitions for single-family attached (side-by-side) units versus larger multi-unit developments so applicants and lenders understand expectations.
Next steps: staff agreed to draft clearer CR district language and to explore design standards that preserve the district’s transition character (lower height, smaller clusters, greenspace). Commissioners asked that any new definitions be available before upcoming rezoning requests so the commission can consider those parameters when applications return.
Ending: Commissioners signaled support for refining CR rules to encourage lower-density, neighborhood-scaled attached housing rather than denser multifamily developments and asked staff to return with possible text changes.
