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Task force considers rezoning Jonesville Road to single‑family to curb multifamily development
Summary
Staff proposed changing Jonesville Road from RM‑4 (mixed/multifamily) to RSF‑3 (single‑family, max 3 units/acre). Staff said the change would remove multifamily/mixed‑use allowances and sliding‑scale density; residents urged protections for family compounds and raised concerns about property rights and impacts on native islander households.
Staff and planning consultants presented a proposal to change zoning in the Jonesville Road area from RM‑4 (residential mixed district) to RSF‑3 (residential single‑family, maximum three dwelling units per acre) as part of the Land Management Ordinance update.
Trey Lau, interim planning director, said the change aims to remove multifamily and mixed‑use allowances in that corridor and to eliminate sliding‑scale density there. He described an analysis showing the area’s average density at roughly 2.91 units per acre, which staff rounded to three when recommending RSF‑3. Lau also explained related changes under consideration to tree‑mitigation calculations (moving toward an ACI — aggregate caliper inches — method) and said the intent is to encourage on‑site retention of mature trees rather than rely on off‑site mitigation.
Why it matters: Task force members and residents said the proposal could alter the character of Jonesville Road, which several speakers described as a largely single‑family, historic neighborhood with one access point. Members asked staff for clarifications on how a rezoning would affect existing nonconforming uses, bed‑and‑breakfasts, workforce housing incentives, and the number of remaining five‑acre tracts that could trigger higher density.
Questions and alternatives: Several task force members asked whether the same outcome could be achieved by removing only the sliding‑scale density provision in RM‑4 rather than changing the zoning district island‑wide. Staff said multiple strategies exist — an overlay district, targeted amendments, or a district‑specific approach — and that staff would analyze ripple effects to other RSF‑designated areas. Members also suggested retaining explicit allowances for family compounds and family subdivisions in Jonesville Road to avoid creating new nonconformities for long‑standing native islander households.
Voices from the meeting: Councilwoman Becker and other task force members urged colleagues to drive the neighborhood to see conditions firsthand before finalizing recommendations. A resident and multiple commenters described recent clear‑cutting and development there and urged protections. Staff said they will provide additional parcel‑level analysis (counts of remaining large tracts) and refine options so the task force can weigh tradeoffs between preservation and development rights.
Next steps: Staff will follow up with an analysis that compares (a) removing RM‑4’s sliding‑scale density, (b) rezoning to RSF‑3 for the Jonesville Road area, and (c) targeted tools (overlay or site‑specific exemptions) including the consequences for nonconforming uses and workforce‑housing incentives. The task force used an anonymous, nonbinding polling tool to record preliminary sentiment but did not take any formal vote.
