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Commission continues UDC review as members press for clearer density rules and ADU guidance
Summary
Staff and consultants continued review of the Unified Development Code draft, highlighting proposed rules for accessory dwelling units, landscaping buffers, parking standards and plat reviews; commissioners urged clearer formulas for infill density and asked for clearer public comment deadlines before adoption.
The Planning & Zoning Commission continued its review of a draft Unified Development Code (UDC), with Victoria Chavez of Able City outlining proposed changes designed to consolidate standards, modernize design rules and address recurring issues in the code.
Chavez said the draft expands and clarifies rules for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), including an 800‑square‑foot cap by default (or 50% of the primary structure up to a 1,200‑square‑foot maximum), owner‑occupancy requirements recorded with the county, and additional off‑street parking requirements for larger ADUs. She described an adapted‑reuse incentive that would allow conversion of existing structures into ADUs while retaining existing walls and heights.
The draft also adds detailed landscaping and buffering standards with several buffer types (Type A/B/C) specifying depth, tree spacing and perimeter walls; it proposes simplified parking ratios for warehousing/industrial uses (for example, 2 spaces per 1,000 square feet for warehousing) and clarifies plat review roles between planning staff and the commission. Chavez said the UDC pulls in recent ordinance changes, such as data‑center energy and detention‑center limits.
Commissioners spent significant time on density rules after the evening’s rezoning debate highlighted how the current metric (15 units per acre) can yield impractical density on infill parcels. Commissioner comments recalled past practice of calculating duplexes per 10,000 square feet and asked the consultant and staff to craft a formula or lot‑coverage limits that avoid unintentionally permitting high densities on interior residential blocks. Commissioners also asked why double‑wide manufactured homes were permitted in agricultural districts while single‑wide and tiny homes had more constraints; staff said conditional use pathways could be expanded.
Staff said it will post updated UDC materials, add a clear public comment deadline, and aim to introduce a final draft at the next Planning & Zoning meeting after stakeholder edits.
