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City officials advance downtown zoning overlay with inclusionary housing targets
Summary
Council sponsors presented a downtown zoning amendment that would add a downtown overlay and require minimum affordable-unit percentages in most downtown projects; sponsors said the change aims to expand housing near jobs and strengthen the tax base.
Speaker 5 outlined a multi-part downtown zoning amendment intended to update decades-old rules and add an inclusionary requirement for new downtown development. The sponsor said the proposal dates to earlier work "maybe since 2022" and aims to increase the tax base, lower the mill rate, expand city services and reduce commuting by allowing more housing near jobs.
The proposal includes three elements, Speaker 5 said: investments in downtown quality-of-life and infrastructure; creation of affordable housing on city-owned land; and additional zoning updates discussed at prior meetings. On the inclusionary element, Speaker 5 stated the changes would require that, in "almost all the different capital area[s], there'll be at least 15%" affordable units and referenced a related 10% figure for some buildings. "We'll see that kind of mixed income development, to provide housing for all in our city," Speaker 5 said.
Speaker 2 clarified how the overlay would interact with surrounding areas, saying some changes "will also apply in the outer" core but that the maximum there "will be 0" in the transcript's phrasing, and that the city's inclusionary zoning ordinance would apply on top of the downtown rules. Speaker 6 framed the proposal as consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan and residents’ requests for more affordable housing.
Multiple speakers publicly voiced support during sponsor remarks; Speaker 3 said, "I am in full support of this item," and other members expressed assent. The record shows the sponsor sought colleagues' backing and emphasized the role of staff and community input in shaping the measure.
Next steps were not explicitly recorded in the transcript: the sponsor asked colleagues for support, and a series of affirmations followed. The transcript does not record a formal final vote tally, an ordinance number, or a precise effective date for any adoption.
