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Commission approves 280‑unit District Point site plan with 71 workforce units and variances; staff to ensure units are dispersed
Summary
The commission approved Resolution 286‑25 allowing a 280‑unit, 10‑story development with 71 workforce housing units (eight above the minimum) under the affordable workforce housing overlay. Variances include FAR of 1.46 and reduced side setbacks; the commission directed staff to ensure at least seven workforce units are dispersed on the top three floors.
The City Commission unanimously approved a special site plan and related variances Monday for a 280‑unit residential project proposed by District Point LLC, conditioned on compliance with the affordable workforce housing overlay and staff review of final site‑plan details.
Applicant representatives from Urban Design Studio described a 10‑story building with 280 multifamily units, including 71 workforce housing units (eight units more than required by the density bonus). The workforce units will be provided at the city’s affordability mix (approximately 18 units at 80% AMI, 32 at 100% AMI and 21 at 120% AMI) and will carry an affordability period of at least 30 years. The team said units would be dispersed across the first seven floors to avoid clustering.
The proposal asks for a variance to permit a floor‑area ratio (FAR) of 1.46 (the commercial land‑use cap is 0.75) and side‑setback variances (requesting 11.3 feet on the west property line and 19.1 feet on the east). The applicant also committed to improving a 50‑foot, underutilized city right‑of‑way and assuming maintenance responsibilities for that access.
Staff (principal planner Eric Schneider) recommended approval, saying the project met variance and special site plan standards and noting the proposal would provide more workforce units than required. Commissioners pressed the applicant on unit distribution after the mayor and others expressed concerns about clustering workforce units on lower floors; the applicant agreed to move seven of the additional units to the top three floors so workforce units would be dispersed throughout the building. The commission’s resolution includes conditions reflecting that direction, and staff will finalize details during site‑plan approval.
Additional specifics: the project proposes 654 parking spaces (627 in a rear parking garage) and includes shared‑parking calculations that the staff said are consistent with the code; the developer will expand the Mercer Avenue sidewalk to 12 feet to meet the bicycle master plan and will provide a pedestrian refuge at a new Center Park Boulevard connection.
The commission voted to approve Resolution 286‑25, subject to the conditions in the staff report and the record, and the motion carried unanimously.
