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Council weighs objective standards for single-family subdivisions as developers push smaller lots and reduced setbacks
Summary
Staff asked council whether to adopt objective, checklist-style standards to streamline approval for smaller single-family lots (developers requested minimum lots as small as ~2,500 sq ft, rear setbacks down to 5–10 ft, narrower park strips and larger garage-frontage allowances); council members raised privacy, safety, parking and neighborhood character concerns.
City planning staff opened a council discussion on Feb. 17 about adopting objective design standards for single-family subdivision developments to reduce discretionary negotiations and improve certainty for builders.
Staff said state law already requires objective standards for multifamily and residential mixed-use developments; the proposed work would extend a measurable, checklist-style approach to single-family subdivision projects (not individual infill lots) and would address measurable items such as parcel size, setbacks, floor-area ratios, parking, open-space minimums, garage frontage, exterior materials and façade variation.
Consultant…
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