La Crosse staff outline major rewrite of 45‑year‑old zoning code to allow more ‘missing‑middle’ housing

Deputy Director Ackland told the joint meeting that La Crosse’s zoning code is 45 years old, difficult to interpret, and has accumulated piecemeal amendments that complicate enforcement and public understanding. He said staff and consultants are in phase two of community engagement and are proposing significant structural changes to modernize the code and better align it with the city’s 2023 comprehensive plan.

Ackland summarized goals: reduce the number of overlapping or outdated districts (combine two agricultural districts, consolidate single‑family and small‑multifamily residential categories), introduce form‑based standards to preserve neighborhood character, and create more flexible mixed‑use and commercial corridor districts. He said the proposed approach would allow a broader range of housing types — including duplexes, triplexes and possibly four‑unit buildings in some neighborhoods — as permitted uses in newly crafted neighborhood residential districts rather than relying on special‑use approvals.

Staff emphasized design controls to limit visual impacts: form‑based standards would require new development to fit neighborhood character so that additional units are not visually disruptive. Ackland noted that many duplexes and triplexes already exist and that one outcome of the rewrite would be to eliminate longstanding “non‑conforming” designations for such buildings.

Commissioners and council members asked about likely impacts: parking on small lots, potential increases in density, owner‑occupancy rules, and whether lot consolidation could enable large replacements. Ackland said staff and consultants are considering unit‑per‑area rules and may retain or reintroduce parking requirements based on public comments; he also noted the team is studying how to address unrelated‑person occupancy rules and whether cooperative or intentional community housing should be enabled. He repeatedly urged residents to provide feedback through the project website (forlacrosse.org) and said the project will go to neighborhood associations before formal code drafting.

Ackland outlined next steps: neighborhood outreach starting immediately, additional joint Planning Commission/council sessions (tentatively in March), then drafting the detailed code “weeds” for public review in late March–April. No zoning code text changes were adopted at this meeting; staff will return with draft language and additional analysis.

Background and context: Ackland said the rewrite follows the city’s 2023 comprehensive plan and earlier housing studies; he cited peer work by Eau Claire and Middleton as examples for process lessons learned. The project is intended to increase housing supply (particularly “missing middle” products) while using design standards to preserve character and manage impacts such as stormwater and floodplain restrictions.