River Heights planning commissioners agree to update housing data in general plan ahead of public hearing

River Heights Planning Commission members on April 8 reviewed proposed edits to the city's general plan and directed staff to update income, home-price and rent figures before a final reading and public hearing.

Commission Chairman Noel Cooley said the commission should "mark up the areas that we need to change and put the numbers in" so printed figures will be available when the plan goes to public hearing. Staff and commissioners noted the plan contains data that dates back more than a decade and does not reflect current local housing costs.

Why it matters: The general plan sets long-term land-use goals and is used to justify zoning and infrastructure choices. Commissioners said updated median income and housing-price figures are needed to ensure plan policies on affordable and moderate-income housing reflect River Heights' present market conditions.

What they discussed: Planning staff and commissioners cited specific discrepancies. Commissioners said the plan's housing-price and rent figures appear to be based on estimates from 2001 and 2011, while more recent market data shows substantially higher median sale prices and monthly rents. Commissioners asked staff (technical staff member Chris Melbank and contributors including Levi) to supply current median household income and home-sale data and to replace outdated rent figures in the draft.

A small commercial zone also drew attention. Commissioners identified a short commercial strip near the stoplight at 7 South adjacent to Conservice and the funeral home and requested the land-use designation be reviewed for accuracy in the updated map.

Historic overlay for former elementary school: Commissioners noted the draft plan did not mention the old River Heights elementary school and discussed whether to add text describing the site's historic-overlay status and its current use as a community business center. Cooley said the city already created a historic overlay zone when the property was presented to the commission previously and suggested language could be included to describe the overlay and possible alternative uses if the building's community use changes.

Next steps and timing: Commission members agreed staff would compile updated numbers and proposed wording for the general plan amendments and return them for a final review before scheduling a public hearing. Commissioners said they would wait to incorporate transportation-related edits until the city's completed transportation study is presented to the city council.

Meeting logistics and votes: The commission approved the meeting agenda and minutes from March 25, 2025, by voice vote at the start of the meeting; no numeric roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript. A motion to adjourn passed at the end of the meeting. The commission did not take final action on the general plan at the April 8 meeting.

What to expect next: Staff will provide updated income, sales-price and rent figures and proposed edits to the land-use map and text. Commissioners said those numbers and revised draft language should be available before the public hearing is scheduled.