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Belpre planning committee hears infill housing and backyard-cottage (ADU) overlay drafts
Summary
A Planning & Zoning committee meeting presentation introduced draft Chapter 1162 (Infill Housing Overlay) and Chapter 1163 (Backyard Cottage/ADU) to encourage infill development and accessory dwelling units; the committee discussed rezoning near the new hospital and recommended further study, including possibly extending a moratorium on new drug treatment centers.
Sunday Creek Horizons consultant Sam Tuten presented two draft overlay chapters to Belpre’s Planning & Zoning/Economic Development committee for consideration: Chapter 1162, an Infill Housing Overlay to encourage infill development using pre-approved residential plans; and Chapter 1163, a Backyard Cottage (accessory dwelling unit) Overlay permitting ADUs in R-2 districts under specified eligibility criteria.
Committee members asked questions about locations where the overlay might apply and how it would interface with historic subdivision patterns. Mayor Abdella and council members discussed the potential for rezoning parcels near the new hospital project and agreed more study is needed. The committee also discussed extending the city’s moratorium on drug treatment centers for another year to allow time for zoning study rather than forwarding legislation to full council at this time.
Sam Tuten characterized the Infill Overlay’s purpose as reducing unnecessary discretionary review while preserving public health and safety and said the Backyard Cottage draft is intended to "establish and promote infill housing, provide for flexible living arrangements, support aging in place, and improve housing affordability." Committee members requested additional work and scheduled further consideration before forwarding any ordinance to the full council.
Next steps are additional committee review, drafting of specific ordinance language for public review, and possible mapping of eligible lots; no zoning changes were adopted at the March 16 committee meeting and no ordinance was forwarded at the March 23 council meeting.
