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Council reviews zoning rewrite to allow smaller lots, triplexes and modular homes to boost housing options
Summary
Planning staff proposed new residential districts (RS‑4, RS‑5, RS‑6), reduced setbacks, removal of FAR and explicit allowance for industrialized/modular housing to increase infill and affordable housing options; council asked for a clean redline for the next hearing.
Planning staff presented a comprehensive draft of zoning ordinance changes on March 17 aimed at increasing housing options and affordability.
Lead planner Ray Lineberry outlined several major changes: creation of smaller‑lot residential districts (RS‑4 and RS‑5 for infill), an RS‑6 district allowing triplexes and quadruplexes, reduced front setbacks (25 feet to 20 feet in several districts), a minimum lot width option as low as 35 feet for certain infill parcels, and the recommended removal of floor‑area‑ratio (FAR) in favor of simple lot‑coverage limits. The draft also proposes allowing industrialized (modular) housing to be treated comparably to stick‑built single‑family homes when they meet city and state building codes.
Lineberry said the changes were developed with builders, staff and a committee over months; the goal is to give developers more predictable, lower‑cost options for delivering smaller, more affordable homes while preserving some protections (for example, legacy RM‑1 districts would remain in place and could not be rezoned away without owner consent). Council members asked staff to provide a clean version of the redline and additional clarifications on legal limits (for legacy zones) and design standards before formal adoption.
Council indicated general support for tools that facilitate infill and smaller lots but stressed the need for clear definitions, parking and design standards and careful public outreach prior to final votes.
