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Commission holds first reading on density bonus for qualifying historic structures outside district
Summary
On first reading the commission considered an amendment to code to permit a limited density bonus for historic structures outside the city’s historic district; staff said the measure would help reuse large buildings such as 1502 High Street but requires case-by-case review.
City staff presented a proposed amendment to Chapter 25, Section 25-292 to create a density bonus for certain historic structures outside the existing historic district. The proposal, presented as a first reading, would allow increased residential density for limited qualifying buildings that are at least 50 years old, retain sufficient historic integrity, and demonstrate historical, architectural or cultural significance to the city.
Staff said the measure is modeled on an earlier density bonus program that applied inside the historic district and emphasized the outside-district provision would be narrow in scope. The ordinance cited 1502 High Street as a primary beneficiary; staff described that building as an 1887 two-story structure large enough to require more than the existing five-unit cap to make reuse financially feasible. "If I can get 10 or more, I can make it financially work," the staff presenter said as an example of why the bonus is necessary.
This was a first reading; commissioners did not adopt the ordinance that night and staff indicated further review and formal adoption steps remain. Staff said eligible projects would still be subject to the city’s standard development requirements and case-by-case review.
