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Draft form‑based code advances; working group debates heights, missing‑middle and civic spaces
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Summary
Consultants walked the working group through the draft form‑based districts, conversion map and regulating‑plan process; members and residents debated height definitions (stories vs. feet), where a fourth story might be incentivized, how to manage missing‑middle housing, and how civic spaces and open‑space definitions should be used.
Consultants and city staff presented a draft form‑based land‑use code and a zoning‑conversion map and sought working‑group feedback on transitions, heights and public‑engagement findings.
The consultant team said the code is intended to implement Legacy Lafayette goals — more predictable outcomes, mixed uses, civic spaces and walkability — by adding building‑type and frontage‑type standards and a regulating‑plan step for rezones to form‑based neighborhoods. The draft map converts many existing zones to new form‑based districts but retains some existing entitlements (staff noted one legacy entitlement that allows a taller maximum in a small area).
Discussion focused heavily on height and how to measure it. A number of participants asked staff to show real‑world examples of how 27‑foot, 35‑foot and 40‑foot limits would read on Lafayette streets and asked whether the code should limit number of stories, overall height, or both. Several speakers cautioned that a 35‑foot flat roof can produce an undesirable boxy massing and suggested options (story caps plus height limits, pitched roofs, parapet restrictions, bulk‑plane controls or targeted story caps in sensitive neighborhoods).
Working‑group members also debated missing‑middle housing and neighborhood‑serving commercial uses. Staff presented three policy options for missing‑middle: (1) maintain current direction, (2) allow missing‑middle on larger lots or collector/corner locations with reduced lot coverage for compatibility, or (3) pause and study further. For neighborhood businesses, staff proposed limiting locations (corner lots or major entry points), adding operational limits (hours, lighting), and requiring neighborhood consultation or a good‑neighbor agreement for pilot uses.
Open‑space advocates asked for clearer, consistent definitions distinguishing civic space from dedicated open space and recommended removing interactive water‑feature requirements from civic‑space standards because of drought and maintenance concerns. Staff agreed to revise definitions in the next draft and to share a comprehensive table of proposed definitions.
Staff summarized public engagement: more than 1,000 survey responses and many meetings. The survey showed majority support for some forms of missing‑middle in certain locations but also strong, place‑based opposition to blanket increases in height; respondents overwhelmingly opposed an unrestricted fourth story unless tied to specific benefits. Staff said the adoption timeline depends on how many changes are requested: a Council briefing is scheduled in early April, a Planning Commission public hearing could occur in May and a Council adoption schedule could follow in June if drafting proceeds on that timetable.
No final policy decisions were taken at the meeting; staff and consultants will revise the draft text, reconcile department comments and post the adoption draft for public comments ahead of hearings.
