Redmond staff, HAPO propose compromise on townhouse setbacks and open space after state review

City planning staff on April 14 presented a revised set of development‑code changes aimed at resolving a state Housing Accountability and Production Office (HAPO) finding that flagged parts of Redmond’s earlier proposal as inconsistent with state housing law. Planning Director Kyle Roberts told the council staff recommends requiring provision of a 9‑by‑20‑foot off‑street parking space for townhouses (rather than mandating garages) and a new open‑space formula for larger subdivisions to produce consolidated, usable park areas.

Why it matters: The council must align local livability goals — safe alley access, usable open space, and emergency‑vehicle access — with state limits on what cities may require for middle housing. The change affects future townhouse layouts, buildable lot depth and potentially the number of units a project can yield, which in turn may influence affordability and maintenance responsibilities tied to homeowners associations (HOAs).

Roberts summarized the history: planning commissioners and staff proposed code changes last fall that included rear‑setback increases and open‑space tweaks; after meetings with builders and a complaint to HAPO in December, HAPO issued findings in January indicating some proposed restrictions could violate state law. Planning Commission and council later withdrew the townhouse setback and open‑space items from the adopted package and directed staff to work with HAPO on a compliant solution. Roberts said the staff‑HAPO compromise aims to ensure the one‑required off‑street parking space per townhouse unit fits on site without imposing a garage requirement.

Joel Mattson, manager of the Housing Accountability and Production Office, told the council that the staff proposal meets state housing law and praised the collaborative process. HAPO housing planner Sean Edging explained administrative‑rule and statute boundaries, noting local governments may not require more than one off‑street parking space per townhouse unit and that setbacks for townhouses cannot be more restrictive than single‑family dwellings in the same zone; he also referenced provisions in the state rules that allow limited local regulation for natural‑hazard safety and similar site‑specific protections.

Builder groups urged flexibility. Garrett Mosher of the Central Oregon Builders Association and Jen Kovitz of Hayden Homes said a hard 20‑foot rear setback and treating garages as optional on smallest lots would reduce buildable depth, lower units per project, and could raise per‑unit prices. Hayden Homes presented modified floor plans they said could meet livability goals without a code change and offered to work with staff on compromises such as narrower garages or front‑load configurations.

Council members repeatedly raised public‑safety and service‑access concerns tied to narrow alleys, asking how designs would accommodate fire apparatus, garbage trucks and delivery vehicles. Several councilors also pressed for clarity about how consolidated open space will be defined and paid for, warning that HOA maintenance could shift responsibilities and costs to homeowners. Staff clarified that the proposed open‑space formula would apply 2.5% of gross developable area for subdivisions of at least 2.5 acres and require contiguous consolidated areas when open space exceeds a 5,000‑square‑foot threshold.

What’s next: Staff said it will continue to refine the code language with HAPO and stakeholders ahead of the planning commission public hearing scheduled for April 15; the council scheduled an informal follow‑up on Monday at 3 p.m. for additional discussion. No formal code adoption or council vote on these provisions occurred at the April 14 meeting.

Quoted: "What's being proposed meets state housing law," Joel Mattson said, praising the collaborative approach. Planning Director Kyle Roberts said the goal is "to fix the townhouse setback and open space requirement that both meets council's goals and...complies with housing law." Garrett Mosher said the 20‑foot driveway requirement "decreases the total buildable land" and could push costs up per unit.

Ending: The council heard robust testimony from builders, HAPO staff and council members and asked staff to continue drafting clearer, useable language that balances state compliance and local livability. The matter will continue in planning commission and follow‑up council discussions; no final action was taken at the meeting.