Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission reviews housing goals; ADUs, land-trusts and repair assistance among options
Summary
Planning staff reviewed Priority Goal 1 of Olivette's 2024 Comprehensive Plan and commissioners discussed strategies to preserve ranch-style homes, expand 'missing middle' housing (ADUs, duplexes, townhouses), and explore tools such as land-trust models, repair-assistance programs and inclusionary requirements; staff will return with assessed-value data in July.
Planning director Carlos Trejo presented an update on Goal 1 of Olivette's 2024 Comprehensive Plan at the June 18 Planning and Community Design Commission meeting, summarizing housing stock data and policy aims tied to neighborhood preservation and attainable housing.
Trejo noted the city's housing inventory (3,355 dwelling units in 2021, with about two-thirds single-family) and framed 'attainable' housing as units costing no more than about 30% of median gross income. He described 'missing middle' housing types—duplexes, triplexes, townhouses and accessory dwelling units (ADUs)—and said the comp plan recommends encouraging a mix of types and preserving existing housing stock.
Commissioners discussed practical options. Chair Sam Wallach and others said preserving ranch-style homes and encouraging ADUs may have the greatest near-term effect because those housing types already exist in Olivette's housing stock. "ADUs seems promising to me as well," one commissioner said while noting code constraints such as minimum dwelling sizes, utility requirements and setbacks.
Council liaison Kate Pinchon Hellman outlined four policy ideas for further study: a land-grant/land-trust model to lower land cost by separating land and building ownership; a program to provide financial assistance for homeowners to repair small houses so they remain saleable; a potential mechanism to prioritize sales to the general public before developers can buy lots; and requiring a percentage of affordable units in multifamily developments, particularly when tax incentives or TIF are involved. Trejo and commissioners agreed these ideas would require council-level policy decisions and coordination across departments.
Staff and liaison also requested more detailed housing data. Kate asked for a breakdown of housing by price or assessed value; Trejo said assessed-value data and other breakdowns could be brought to the July meeting. The commission noted indentures (private covenants) in some subdivisions may constrain local zoning flexibility and would need to be considered in any code changes.
Next steps: staff will bring assessed-value breakdowns and additional information to the July meeting, continue outreach on ADU parameters and examine how zoning tools (setbacks, density, height) could be calibrated to support attainable options without undermining neighborhood character.
