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Highland council changes R140 lot-calculation rule after developer appeal, sparks debate on senior housing
Summary
After extended public hearing and debate, the council amended development code to round fractional lot calculations to the nearest whole number -- a change that can allow an extra lot in some R140 subdivisions. The decision prompted discussion about senior housing and potential code safeguards.
Highland City Council voted April 21 to amend the development code that governs how many lots may be created in R140 subdivisions, changing fractional rounding to the nearest whole number.
The move followed a public hearing prompted by applicant Ty Ricks, who said a 5.45 calculation for his property should round to six lots rather than down to five, and argued the extra lot would materially lower per-lot infrastructure costs. Ricks told the council the additional lot would reduce per-lot cost by roughly $165,000 per lot across the subdivision, describing the impact on affordability.
The Planning Commission had voted 5——2 against the change; council deliberations covered concerns about developers phasing subdivisions to game density calculations and about maintaining R140s character. Several council members said they wanted safeguards: Council Member Campbell emphasized caution about broadly loosening density but expressed interest in targeted tools for senior-restricted housing.
After a motion, amendment and debate, Council adopted an update to Section 3-4103 and related sections to round fractional lot calculations to the nearest whole number. Council members and staff discussed an effective date and whether to pursue property transfers or boundary adjustments on the applicants parcel as a quicker path for this case. The council recorded a unanimous 5——0 vote on the code change.
Ty Ricks had proposed the change as an equitable fix for a single parcel; discussion expanded into whether the city should add an "and/or" clause or other safeguards to avoid future gaming, and whether senior-restricted small-lot housing might be a better alternative on the property.
The council asked staff to bring back implementing language and to continue evaluating whether an alternative approach (for example, a targeted senior-housing overlay or amended density calculation rules) would better match the citys long-term goals.
