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Committee forwards Bill 63 to commissions to study permitting residential dwellings in MCX district
Summary
Bill 63 would permit residential dwellings in the industrial commercial mixed‑use (MCX) zoning district; the committee voted to forward the measure to planning department and commissions for review, and planning staff agreed to involve Public Works/Building when the item returns.
The policy committee forwarded Bill 63, which would permit residential dwellings in the industrial commercial mixed‑use (MCX) zoning district, to the Planning Department and planning commissions for review.
Councilmember Onishi introduced the measure and moved to send it to the planning department and commissions for further study; Councilmember Galimba seconded the motion and the committee carried it. The Planning Department indicated support in principle: Director Jeff Darrow said the MCX district is largely commercial and that allowing residential uses supports smart‑growth goals — adding living units to areas where people already work and shop.
Why it matters: Allowing dwellings in MCX is intended to encourage mixed‑use development and reduce sprawl by enabling residents to live near jobs and services. Proponents said it could help ease commuting pressures on highway corridors.
Questions and concerns
Councilmembers requested additional technical input during the commission review. Councilmember Kimball asked that the Public Works building division be invited to later hearings to address safety, infrastructure and brownfield concerns (testimony earlier in the meeting raised questions about building on formerly contaminated sites). Councilmember Galimba asked for an inventory or acreage estimate of existing MCX zoning; Director Darrow said he would provide those figures at a future hearing.
Councilmember Akagiwara and Onishi supported the bill as a means to encourage adaptive reuse of vacant commercial properties and reduce pressure to develop agricultural lands. Councilmember Keneili Kleinfelder asked why residential use had not been included originally; Director Darrow described historical differences among zoning districts and said MCX tends toward commercial and light industrial uses, so adding residential now aligns with current development patterns in many MCX areas.
Actions and next steps
The committee voted to forward Bill 63 to the Planning Department and planning commissions for review. Planning staff committed to provide additional information (acreage and district mapping) and to invite Public Works/Building divisions to future discussions to address safety and permitting questions. The commissions will examine potential infrastructure, building‑code and compatibility issues before the council receives a recommendation.
Ending
Bill 63 remains under review; no final zoning change was adopted at the June 3 meeting. The Planning Department will provide requested data and draft recommendations to the committee through the commission review process.
