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Willard Council approves MPZ amendments setting 14,500‑sq‑ft minimum lots and defining "developable acres"
Summary
After an extended debate, the Willard City Council approved ordinance 25‑03 adjusting the master plan community (MPZ/MPC) rules: it codifies a minimum lot size of 14,500 square feet, requires a clearer definition of 'developable acres' and authorizes limited density bonuses tied to open space or fee‑in‑lieu arrangements.
The Willard City Council voted March 27 to approve ordinance 25‑03, which revises the city’s MPZ (master plan community) rules to clarify how density is calculated and to set a minimum lot size for MPZ projects.
Council members spent more than an hour debating the proposal before voting to adopt the ordinance with several specified edits. The council directed staff to define "developable acres" as the total acreage minus sensitive areas (for example, wetlands), streets, storm basins and other non‑buildable areas. Under the adopted language, the ordinance ties allowable density to that defined developable acreage, and the code text as discussed says no more than "2 units per developable acre" in the MPZ section as written in the draft.
A second key change makes the minimum lot size for MPZ projects mandatory. The council moved from the draft’s softer wording and approved language that no lot "shall be smaller than 14,500 square feet," a figure council members repeatedly referenced as roughly a third‑acre standard. Council members said they prefer the 'shall' formulation to avoid ambiguity when developers present plans.
The ordinance also alters several other provisions. The council struck or clarified a provision limiting the maximum number of homes on a street (members judged the drafting unclear, and the line was removed or reworded to apply between intersections). The trails subsection was adjusted so that trails need a city‑approved "hard surface" rather than mandating concrete, giving the city engineer discretion to approve asphalt or other durable surfacing. Finally, the ordinance maintains a fee‑in‑lieu option allowing up to a specified percentage (discussed as up to 20% in the meeting) to be submitted instead of on‑site open space; such fees would be used to develop larger parks or open space elsewhere in the city.
Supporters on the council said the changes provide clearer tools for staff and the planning commission when negotiating development agreements and reduce repeated staff and commission time spent re‑writing proposals. "Our staff can say, this is what it says; this is what you're going to have to meet," a council member said during the debate.
Opponents or cautious members warned that overly strict standards could make the MPZ tool unusable and push developers to build strictly under the half‑acre subdivision standard. The council balanced those concerns by approving language that keeps lot‑size minimums but preserves negotiation tools in development agreements.
The vote was recorded on the public record with a motion to approve by Mike (name per speakers list) and a second noted in the record; roll call votes on the ordinance were recorded as yes votes by named council members on the transcript. The council directed staff to reissue the ordinance text showing the adopted edits.
What happens next: the ordinance will be published with the adopted edits and staff will apply the clarified definitions and standards when reviewing future MPZ/MPC proposals. Council members said they expect to monitor how the MPZ tool performs and may revisit the ordinance if it proves impractical.
