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Council seeks code modernization to speed housing approvals; staff to return recommendations in roughly six months
Summary
The council introduced a resolution to modernize the Unified Development Chapter to increase housing supply, asked planning staff for public engagement, and directed staff to return recommendations in about 150 days.
The Duluth City Council discussed Resolution 5-20, a resolution supporting comprehensive zoning and code modernization aimed at increasing housing supply across income levels, and asked planning staff to pursue public engagement and return recommendations within roughly 150 days.
Council members said the effort is intended to reduce permitting barriers and create clearer, faster pathways for by-right development, mixed-use Main Street corridors, and 1– to 3-story residential options where appropriate. Councilor Swenson said the measure is meant to “bring in an ease of development into our community” by removing barriers in the UDC and enabling some projects to proceed without repeat hearings.
Councilors raised specific items for staff consideration: transition some form districts to “Main Street” districts to encourage pedestrian-friendly mixed use and upper-story housing; explore opportunities for low-rise high-density housing; and evaluate whether elements such as planned-unit developments create confusing, burdensome requirements. Councilor Howell said the work should include analysis of displacement and gentrification but suggested that could be handled in a separate policy effort.
Director Van Tassel of Planning and Economic Development told the council staff is “excited to get into the meat of this resolution,” expects public input and comparative research, and estimated the resolution’s 150-day timeline (about six months) as a realistic goal to return a significant set of recommendations. He cautioned that the city’s Unified Development Chapter is complex and that some items may take longer than six months to fully resolve.
Councilors asked about engagement approaches; staff said they would consider a mix of public workshops, targeted stakeholder meetings and other outreach and expected to bring ideas later this year. No vote was taken at the session; the item was presented to guide staff work and public engagement.
