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Council narrows small‑lot design standards to 2 of 10 after developer opposition; council approves first reading as amended
Summary
After public hearings and testimony from a local developer, the council amended small‑lot development design standards to require a minimum of 2 of 10 listed design items (reduced from staff proposal of 5 of 10 and an earlier 6-of-6 standard) and approved first reading of ordinance 49-35 as amended.
The Lewiston City Council on first reading approved ordinance 49-35, amending the city's small‑lot and zero‑lot line development design standards to require developers to meet a minimum of two items from a 10‑item design menu.
Assistant City Planner Katie Hollingshead outlined the history: the city introduced small‑lot development standards in 2006, amended them in 2021 to add six mandatory design standards, and later convened planning and zoning and a city committee to revisit the rules after developers said the standards limited use of the small‑lot option. Planning and zoning proposed a menu of 10 design options from which a developer would choose five; the council ultimately amended that proposal to require two of the ten.
Local developer Dan Young testified he has used small‑lot processes previously and said the expanded list is confusing, costly and may hinder construction timelines. "I just think that the market should drive what gets built," Young said, adding that the change in requirements in 2021 had already forced him to alter a subdivision plan and that delays cost him sales. "I've lost some sales and it's cost me some money waiting from September until now," he said.
City Attorney Jennifer Tangano explained the purpose of the design standards: they are intended to protect neighborhood character and property values and to guide aesthetic elements such as porches, window area, roof type and tree plantings. Tangano said standards give staff and the public a clear baseline for design review and prevent arbitrary decisions at permit review.
Councilors questioned how particular homes would be affected by different thresholds. Hollingshead and legal staff said the standards apply when a small‑lot subdivision is used (a subdivision process), and that without standards the city cannot require specific design elements at permitting. Council President Klieberg moved to amend the proposed ordinance to require two of the ten design items; Councilor Forsman seconded the amendment. The council then voted to approve first reading of ordinance 49-35 as amended.
The ordinance changes the standards in Lewiston City Code section 30-7-33 and will return for later readings before final adoption. Staff said the amendment follows planning and zoning review and developer input and that it aims to balance flexibility for builders with neighborhood design protections.
