Albany council holds hearing on climate-friendly zoning changes; officials and residents raise traffic and preservation concerns

The Albany City Council on April 9 held a legislative public hearing on proposed amendments to the city’s comprehensive plan, zoning map and development code to adopt “Climate Friendly Areas” and walkability standards required under state statute.

Comprehensive Planning Manager Anne Catlin told the council the package identifies six climate friendly areas located along Albany bus routes, clarifies code language (articles 8, 9 and a new Article 14), and includes a map amendment and some property-specific zone changes. Catlin said the state framework requires the areas to have capacity to accommodate 30% of the city’s projected 2040 housing need — a target she said is 8,861 units (staff used formulaic capacity calculations and included a modest buffer).

The proposal would largely keep existing base zones but add an overlay with design standards and “net density” minimums (Catlin described 15 units per acre in most climate friendly areas and 25 units per acre in the primary area near the Heritage Mall). Catlin also noted limited, targeted zone changes such as a property at 50 Third and 99 in South Albany proposed to change from Commercial General to Village Center, and a few regional- and neighborhood-commercial parcels proposed to become Mixed Use Commercial or Community…