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Council adopts zoning fix to ease mixed‑use affordable housing projects (Ordinance 57‑53)
Summary
The council unanimously adopted a staff‑initiated zoning text amendment (Ordinance 57‑53) that allows commercial/industrial/multifamily developments to count a mix of on‑site and nearby nonresidential uses toward the ordinance’s nonresidential‑use requirement.
The council unanimously adopted Ordinance 57‑53, a staff‑initiated amendment to Chapter 28 (zoning) that clarifies how commercial/industrial/multifamily developments (CIMDs) can meet the code’s nonresidential‑use requirement. The change allows a combination of on‑site and off‑site nonresidential uses within a quarter mile to be counted together toward the 25,000‑square‑foot threshold (including the required minimum of restaurant/retail square footage) that larger CIMDs must meet.
Why it matters: The Live Local Act and the city’s CIMD provisions are intended to produce higher‑density housing while ensuring ground‑floor and nearby commercial services that shorten commutes and support walkability. Staff reported that some potential projects would have been forced to build large amounts of office space on their sites despite existing nearby office buildings, a drafting outcome staff said was not intended when the ordinance was adopted.
Senior planner Peter Begovic told the council the amendment simply allows project applicants to combine existing or concurrently constructed on‑site nonresidential uses with off‑site nearby nonresidential uses to reach the 25,000‑square‑foot benchmark, so that affordable housing developments are not made infeasible by an unintended drafting gap. The planning board recommended approval 7–0. Councilmember comments indicated support for the staff fix while several councilmembers asked staff to return later with broader discussion of the CIMD program and affordable‑housing targets.
The vote: Ordinance 57‑53 passed on first reading and was adopted by the council by roll call, 5–0.
Provenance (excerpted): "CIMDs are required to meet 1 of 2 criteria...this amendment would provide potential developers of these affordable or workforce housing units more flexibility..." — Senior Planner Peter Begovic (presentation, 00:18:09)
Ending note: Council members said they may return to the ordinance in a future meeting to consider additional refinements to affordable housing percentages or other adjustments; staff will implement the clarifying language as adopted.
