Planning commission recommends Ordinance 26B with revised flag‑lot access width

The Perry City Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of Ordinance 26B, an omnibus package of land‑use code amendments, after adding one local modification to a proposed flag‑lot width standard.

City planning staff summarized the package as a mix of state‑statute updates, reorganized code references and editorial cleanup. "Some of it are required updates per state statute that have changed," staff member Bob said while walking commissioners through proposed deletions, updated cross‑references and clarified definitions. Staff told the commission the amendments can be edited and that any commission recommendation would be forwarded to the city council for final legislative action.

Key changes discussed include renaming and aligning local language with the state for "boundary adjustments" (formerly lot‑line adjustments), requiring plat amendments when a recorded plat is affected, clarifying what "design review" means for setback determinations, tightening text on how garage and driveway setbacks are measured, and altering some Neighborhood Commercial Zone provisions that staff said were outdated or contradictory to current practice. Staff also proposed a definition to clear disputes over landscaping requirements — defining a tree in the code as a woody perennial with a mature height of at least 15 feet and a mature width of at least 10 feet (with an exception for tall, columnar varieties).

The commission focused much of its debate on the flag‑lot standard — parcels that use a narrow access "pole" to reach a buildable area at the rear of a block. Bob described the intent: "The idea behind flag lots is ... to utilize space behind lots that don't have road access otherwise," and said the current code's historical numbers and ambiguous wording have sometimes produced unintended outcomes. Commissioners raised concerns that a looser definition could let near‑street, narrow lots be labeled flag lots to avoid frontage requirements. To address that risk, one commissioner proposed, and a colleague seconded, changing the proposed 20‑foot maximum pole width to 30 feet and formally recommending the package with that alteration.

An unidentified commissioner moved to "recommend approval to the city council of Ordinance 26B, omnibus land‑use code amendments with the one change for flag lots instead of the 20 feet up to 30 feet." The motion passed on a roll‑call vote: Commissioner Thompson — yes; Mister Wager — yes; Commissioner Moss — yes; Commissioner Broadhead — yes; Commissioner Moser — yes; and the chair voted yes.

Staff said the changes designed to comply with state law included updating the maximum garage stall length cities may require to 20 feet, and clarifying when design review is applicable. The package also revisited accessory dwelling unit (ADU) sizing rules (staff noted current code ties detached ADUs to 40% of the primary dwelling and floated a fixed cap as an example), and corrected several cross‑references affected by state code reorganization.

Next steps: the planning commission's positive recommendation sends Ordinance 26B to the Perry City Council for legislative consideration. Staff told commissioners they will incorporate the commission's 30‑foot flag‑lot access change into the draft that moves forward.