Rathdrum council discontinues smallest-lot zones, tables MR residential percentage changes after public objections
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Summary
After public comment raised concerns that a proposed MR residential formula would let builders favor the smallest lots, the Rathdrum City Council voted to adopt code changes ending two small‑lot zones and to legalize sidewalk seating, but tabled the proposed MR percentage rule for further review.
The Rathdrum City Council voted to discontinue two smaller‑lot zoning categories and to adopt a code change allowing regulated sidewalk seating, but tabled a proposed change to the MR residential district that would have set lot‑size bands at 25%/25%/25%/25% after residents urged more review.
Councilmembers cited prior workshops and public hearings in explaining the ordinance changes and said the MR item needs further refinement. Councilmember Larry Sanders made the motion to adopt the two code sections on first reading and remove the MR residential language from tonight’s adoption; the council approved the motion and agreed to continue discussion of the MR percentages in a later workshop.
The matter drew several public comments during the visitor‑comment period. Resident Laura Fuller told the council she had run the proposed percentages through a calculator and that, "This would give the developer the option to have, 50% of the lot sizes at the minimum size of 6,500 square feet." Fuller urged increasing the size of the largest band to reduce the portion of minimum‑size lots.
Resident Stacy O’Connell said the change would amount to a step back from the current distribution and said, "This is our community. We should tell them what we are allowing. No gray area of expectations of them." O’Connell urged the council to restore a one‑third distribution or to raise the minimum lot sizes, arguing that builders with a discretionary band are likely to choose the smallest lots.
Emily, a staff planner who presented the ordinance, said the 25% bands and the "builder choice" element grew out of council workshops and were intended to provide the flexibility needed to make subdivisions feasible. She told the council the 25% figure was not the work of a single staff member but the result of prior council workshops and drafting.
Council members discussed options including stricter intermixing rules (to prevent long runs of the smallest lots), raising minimum sizes for one or more bands, or changing how discretionary lots are allocated. Council members said the MR section could be returned for further drafting with clearer written standards that would limit repetitive patterns of small lots.
The council kept the portions of the ordinance that would discontinue the R3 and R2D small‑lot zones and that would create a legal framework for sidewalk seating in the downtown district, and asked staff to bring back refined MR language for further deliberation.
The ordinance references were City Code sections 15‑4‑1 and 15‑4‑2 (adopted) and 15‑5‑4 (MR residential, tabled). The council’s action preserves previous public‑hearing record for the parts adopted and allows additional public review of any materially revised MR language.
The council did not adopt any changed percentages for MR tonight; the item will return for further debate and possible public hearing once staff brings clarified, intermixing‑oriented language.
