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Council, planning commission discuss MPZ, ADU and RV-park oversight as city moves to codify zoning
Summary
Willard planning commission and council members said they will refine the Master Planned Zone (MPZ) and tighten sideboards on density and amenities; staff will return proposed language and public hearings are scheduled.
City leaders and the planning commission reported ongoing work to revise the Master Planned Zone and associated zoning language to reduce subjectivity in development review and to reflect the community's preferred densities and amenity expectations.
Planning commission members and council participants said the MPZ has been too open-ended, creating prolonged negotiations between developers and the commission. Staff and commission representatives described proposed changes as "sideboards" intended to clarify density limits, park and open-space expectations, and how proposals align with the city's general plan.
Council and planning staff said the MPZ revisions aim to reduce repeated back-and-forth review and to give staff clearer standards for responding to developer inquiries. The mayor and planning commissioners noted that when developers push for densities above what the community and commission expect—examples cited included proposals near three dwelling units per acre—there is little in the current MPZ to stop an application from advancing, which then often moves contentious debate to public hearings and the council.
Other planning items discussed
- Accessory dwelling units (ADUs): Staff indicated ADU language and public hearings will be scheduled for upcoming meetings; council members should expect public hearings in the near-term cycle.
- RV park / trailer court oversight: Planning commissioners said they will review records from a local campground to determine whether some trailers are staying longer than 90 days. That review could inform enforcement or changes to local business-license or land-use regulation.
- Codified zoning code: Council approved Ordinance 2025-O6 to codify the zoning code (see votes article). Staff said codification will make it easier to process updates and to publish cross-referenced zoning provisions online.
Next steps and timeline
Staff and planning commissioners will return proposed MPZ language with clearer density thresholds and amenity requirements and schedule public hearings. Councilmembers said they expect additional hearings and plan to use the codified zoning document as the baseline for future amendments and for streamlining developer review.
