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River Heights planners move to add senior-citizen PUD zone to city General Plan
Summary
After the City Council adopted a Senior Citizen PUD ordinance, the River Heights Planning Commission agreed to pursue an amendment to the General Plan to add a Senior Citizen PUD (SCPUD) zone and will hold a public hearing; Chair Keenan Ryan recused himself from votes on a parcel owned by his family.
The River Heights Planning Commission on May 26 agreed to pursue an amendment to the city’s General Plan to add a Senior Citizen Planned Unit Development (SCPUD) zone after the City Council adopted a corresponding ordinance.
Commission Chair Keenan Ryan informed commissioners that one proposed SCPUD area includes a parcel owned by his family and said he would recuse himself from any vote affecting that parcel. Commissioner Noel Cooley led the ensuing discussion.
Cooley proposed two primary changes: first, to insert a zone description into the General Plan identifying a “fourth zone dedicated to senior citizens” that would allow smaller lots; and second, to add a new Goal 1.6.3 with strategies to identify appropriate areas, encourage efficient land use, foster a sense of community, and ensure compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods. The draft language discussed included explicit strategies to locate senior housing where size, location, and character are suitable and to limit density to address citizen concerns about higher-density developments.
Commissioners agreed that the next step should be a public hearing to receive community input and to review the General Plan in full for any additional amendments that should be considered concurrently. No formal vote to amend the General Plan was taken; the commission directed staff to schedule a public hearing and prepare draft language reflecting the changes discussed.
Why it matters: adding an SCPUD designation to the General Plan would create a planning pathway for senior-focused housing in River Heights while preserving the commission’s stated intention to limit densities above single-family where community preference exists. The record shows commissioners and the council balancing interest in senior housing with neighborhood compatibility concerns.
The commission did not set a public hearing date at the meeting; commissioners said they would coordinate with staff to schedule the hearing and complete a review of the full General Plan.
