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Developers seek R5 zoning for 30 'cottage' homes; staff proposes 20% rental cap
Summary
An applicant asked the council to rezone 8 acres at 6877 Upshaw Mill Road from R2 to R5 to build 30 single-family cottage lots aimed at ownership (target price high $200s–low $300s). Planning staff recommended a 20% rental cap (no more than six units) as a condition; council members requested clearer condition language and raised concerns about affordability definitions and choices between ownership and rental.
At the April 2 work session, Planning and Zoning Administrator Chelsea Tubs described request 26-078: a proposed zoning change from R2 to R5 for approximately eight acres at 6877 Upshaw Mill Road to enable a 30-lot single-family cottage subdivision intended for homeownership.
Applicant representatives Keith Miner and Tony Harris said the R5 plan would enable smaller lots and houses (roughly 1,800–2,500 square feet), two-car garages, and three-to-four floor plans; they said the project is intended for ownership rather than rental and that they aim for a price point in the "high $200s to low $300s" depending on construction costs. "We want to be ownership, not rental," Miner said.
Council members pressed on affordability and asked how the developer will ensure homes match the area's median income. Several council members noted that some residents in the New Horizons area have expressed concerns about high concentrations of rentals in the past; staff said they proposed a 20% rental cap as a condition to limit rentals to six homes. "Staff is proposing a condition of a 20% rental cap to limit no more than six homes," Tubs said.
Council debated language and implementation: some members asked staff to draft more specific and enforceable condition text, and requested clarity on whether rental limitations would survive resale or HOA transfers. Staff acknowledged that while the developer plans to market for ownership, an HOA could later change use; council asked staff and the applicant to return with a clearer condition and to discuss whether to allow limited rental flexibility for residents who cannot buy immediately.
The public-hearing portion produced no registered speakers for or against during the work session; council will revisit the item and the proposed rental-cap wording at the April 6 meeting.
