Council seeks staff review of zoning and UDC changes to speed development, with six‑month target for recommendations

The Duluth City Council discussed a resolution directing city administration to review the Unified Development Chapter (UDC) and related zoning code to reduce regulatory barriers and increase housing supply across income levels.

Authors of the resolution said the goal is to make more development “by right” where feasible so projects can proceed without repeated special approvals. Councilors proposed changes that include evaluating form districts and considering “Main Street” designations to encourage ground‑floor commercial with upper‑story residential and pedestrian‑oriented infrastructure. Councilors stressed the policy should encourage opportunities for higher‑density, low‑rise and affordable housing, and suggested staff also examine provisions that cause confusion or are overly burdensome — examples cited included planned unit developments and short‑term‑rental impacts within form districts.

Director Van Tassel of Planning and Economic Development told the council staff is enthusiastic about the work and expects substantial recommendations later this year. Van Tassel said the resolution calls for public input, research into other communities’ approaches, and engagement with developers and the public. When asked about timeline, Van Tassel noted the resolution lists 150 days (roughly six months) and said that is a reasonable goal to return with a significant set of recommendations, though some items may take longer.

Councilors asked about community engagement and how recommendations will be developed; Van Tassel and staff said they will design a process with public input, potentially including templates used in prior comprehensive planning work. The council did not record a final vote in the transcript.