River Falls staff propose zoning overhaul to allow ADUs, shrink some lot sizes and ease multifamily rules

River Falls planners on Tuesday presented a package of zoning-code amendments intended to implement the housing goals in the city’s 2023 comprehensive plan, proposing changes that would make it easier to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs), allow more missing-middle housing forms and streamline approvals that previously required planned unit developments.

Senior Planner Harley Milhorn told the council the amendments are the first phase of comp-plan implementation and that the plan commission forwarded them unanimously. "These proposed amendments represent the first phase in the effort to implement the housing policy vision of the 2023 comprehensive plan," Milhorn said, explaining staff collected neighborhood lot-size data, mapped existing duplexes and multiplexes and reviewed recent PUD approvals to shape the recommendations.

Why it matters: Staff said many PUD approvals over time effectively created ad hoc standards and lengthened approvals; the code changes are intended to codify commonly approved flexibilities so developers and neighbors see clearer, more predictable outcomes.

Key proposals in the staff packet include: reducing the R1 minimum lot size from 7,500 to 5,500 square feet; allowing two-family homes in R1 without the existing 1,400-foot separation requirement; permitting triplexes on lots of at least 10,000 square feet; and adopting ADU standards to ensure accessory units remain subordinate to the principal dwelling. Milhorn said the average R1 single-family lot is roughly 11,500 square feet and that the existing separation metric does not match on-the-ground conditions: "The average separation between duplexes across the city and R1 is only a 158 feet, far less than the existing code requirement."

On multifamily design, staff proposed retaining the current 1:1 open-space standard as an option rather than a hard requirement, offering a 1:2 option that would require fewer amenities, and creating a menu of amenity choices sized to project unit counts. The packet recommends credits that reduce amenity requirements for projects that provide more affordable units. Milhorn described a shift in parking policy from a flat "two spaces per unit" rule to a split, per-unit approach tied to bedroom counts and local on-street availability.

Driveway widths and definitions drew notable scrutiny. Staff proposed increasing the allowable driveway width at the right-of-way/property line from 25 to 35 feet to accommodate three-car garages and common driveway patterns. Milhorn said the change is intended to address unpermitted widening, edge erosion and awkward "no-man's-land" paving at property lines. Several council members said they understood the problem but worried that wider aprons could increase impervious surface and complicate stormwater management.

Council response: Several councilors praised the clarity the revisions would create and urged care on the driveway proposal and density-related public works impacts. One councilor said ADUs could unintentionally convert into rental units over time and flagged enforcement and long-term monitoring as concerns. Staff repeatedly noted the council retains tools to require more through a PUD and can send parts of the package back to the plan commission for further review.

Next steps: The council opened the public hearing and heard comment; staff indicated the ordinances will return for further readings and refinements. The packet contains draft ordinance language and a comparison chart of proposed changes. "We will come back with additional analyses if the council wants more specific housing-cost or runoff modeling," Administrator Scott said during his remarks.

Ending: The public hearing remains open for council questions and the council did not adopt the zoning changes Tuesday; staff and council members asked for additional review on driveway widths and stormwater impacts before a subsequent reading.