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Commission backs narrow South Lincoln design changes to let homeowner rebuild
Summary
The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended that council amend South Lincoln Sub‑Area Mixed Use District standards to ease corner/through‑lot setbacks, shorten certain offsets, and permit roof‑design flexibility on secondary facades so one homeowner can rebuild a single‑level, three‑bedroom, senior‑friendly house.
City staff outlined a council‑authorized text amendment intended to allow a resident of the South Lincoln Sub‑Area Mixed Use District (SMD) to seek relief from several design standards when replacing a single‑family house.
Staff said the SMD standards (established in 2003) require special treatment for through and corner lots, set minimum side‑street setbacks and building massing limits (a 40‑foot maximum run before an 8‑foot offset), and require gabled roofs or dormers on secondary facades to maintain neighborhood character. The applicant, Jim Gregory of 129 Washington Avenue, asked for changes to make a corner lot single‑level, three‑bedroom house feasible for multigenerational living.
Staff proposed targeted edits: exempt single‑ and two‑family homes on corner/through lots from some side setback rules; reduce a side‑street setback from 25 to 15 feet for Mr. Gregory’s lot; change the building massing rule from 40 feet to 48 feet before an offset and reduce the offset depth from 8 feet to 4 feet; and limit the relaxation of roof‑form requirements to secondary facades only (staff did not propose removing the requirement for primary facades). Staff recommended the narrower package that would allow the applicant’s design while preserving primary‑facade character.
Mr. Gregory said his 1920 two‑bedroom house is not senior friendly and that the proposed changes would let him build a single‑level, three‑bedroom house suitable for himself, his wife and an elderly mother‑in‑law. He told commissioners he supports staff’s narrower roof suggestion.
After brief discussion and no public opposition, the commission moved to recommend the staff proposal (Alternative 1) to city council. The motion passed by voice vote.
The recommendation to council is advisory; council will review the proposed ordinance language and could adopt, modify or reject the changes.
