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Commission adopts inclusionary housing land‑use code; asks staff to refine long‑term affordability terms
Summary
The board convened as the Land Development Regulation Commission and approved Unified Land Development Code amendments implementing May 2025 inclusionary housing policies: requirements for land‑use restriction agreements, methods to calculate required affordable units, and density bonuses tied to deeper affordability. Commissioners asked staff and attorneys to return with recommendations on whether affordability terms should extend beyond the 30‑year norms.
The Board convened as the Land Development Regulation Commission and heard a staff presentation from Chris Dawson, principal planner, on proposed Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) amendments to implement the inclusionary housing policies the board adopted in May 2025.
Dawson said the amendments create a new Article in Chapter 402 titled 'Inclusionary Housing.' Key elements include requiring land‑use restriction agreements (LURAs) for qualifying developments, a standard methodology for calculating the number of required affordable units, and standards ensuring affordable units are comparable to market units. The code also adds substitution rules in Transit‑Oriented Development and mixed‑use areas that allow nonresidential square footage to be traded for affordable units at established exchange rates and permits a density bonus (four additional units per acre) with 10% of the bonus units set aside at 80% of area median income.
Commissioner Prizia asked whether affordability obligations should be perpetual for projects receiving permanent density increases. Staff and the county attorney noted most current agreements are 30 years, that financing constraints often drive term limits, and that some LURAs return to the board for final approval. Commissioners directed growth management and legal staff to draft recommendations about LURA duration and return them to the board for policy direction.
The Board found the proposed amendments consistent with the comprehensive plan, reconvened as the commissioners, and unanimously adopted the ordinance authorizing the changes and the directive to return with recommended affordability‑term approaches.
