Roy planning commission forwards mixed-use height-measure changes to city council after public objections

The Roy City Planning Commission voted unanimously March 10 to forward a positive recommendation to the city council for amendments to Title 10, Chapter 13 (mixed use), changing building-height measurement from a single overall height in feet to allowed numbers of stories for building types in BPSC, SNS and UC zones.

Planning staff member Steve, who presented the proposal, told the commission that the change is intended to fix inconsistencies in the mixed‑use code and provide developers predictable, by‑right standards rather than relying on development agreements. "So changing the building height from 80 feet to eight stories," he said, and explained how row homes, storefronts and civic buildings would be measured differently under the proposal.

The change would not change which building types are allowed in each zone, Steve said; many apartment and townhome projects already are permitted by right. He emphasized the amendment is primarily a measurement change to make the code internally consistent and to allow practical ground‑floor ceiling heights without triggering an extra story.

Several residents urged the commission to slow down. Karina Redwick said a recent appraisal attributed roughly 3% of her home's value to a view and warned taller buildings would "obstruct views and will decrease home values and decrease tax revenue for the city." Nancy Inman, who led a recent referendum effort against taller buildings, urged commissioners to vote against increasing heights, saying taller apartments harm privacy and community character. "They're going to have people staring down into their bedroom windows," Inman said.

Commissioners acknowledged those concerns but repeatedly noted that the amendment does not alter allowed density and that property owners are not guaranteed views beyond their lots. One commissioner said development agreements can be burdensome and that code clarity will reduce one‑off council approvals. Staff also responded to a public claim by saying there is no clear statistic showing that apartments alone increase crime rates; staff said larger populations can produce more incidents in absolute numbers while percentages remain similar.

After discussion the commission moved and seconded a recommendation and took a roll‑call vote; the motion passed unanimously to forward the amendment to the city council. A commission member said he did not yet know whether the council would consider the measure at the first or second April meeting.

Next step: the city council will receive the commission's recommendation; any formal change to the ordinance will require council action before it becomes law.