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Council introduces ordinance to set standards for post-frame 'barndominiums' amid neighborhood concerns
Summary
Council introduced an ordinance to regulate post-frame/metal‑frame residences in single‑ and multi‑family zones, requiring front‑facing materials and plan review; a resident urged the council to ensure the structures fit neighborhood character.
The Powell City Council introduced an ordinance July 14 to establish standards for post-frame and metal-frame residential structures—commonly called "barndominiums"—within single-family (R-1) and multifamily (R-2) zoning districts and referred the measure to the zoning commission for development.
Tom Murphy, a Pineville resident, told the council he supported the idea in principle but warned that the term "barndominium" and unconstrained metal structures could be out of character for neighborhoods. "Sometimes those can be a little out of character for many of the neighborhoods," Murphy said, urging the council to ensure exterior appearance fits surrounding homes.
Chief Operations Officer Daryl Baskill described provisions the proposed ordinance would include: an equal amount of living space and storage space, frontage materials such as brick or hardy plank so the structure "looks like a house from the front," architectural‑plan review by zoning staff, and a variance process if necessary. "So part of the requirements that they're gonna look at in the proposed ordinance...everything that front street view is gonna have to have some mix of brick, hardy...planks," Baskill said.
Council members said the city paused permitting earlier with a moratorium to craft an ordinance after seeing metal structures sited next to single-family homes. The item was introduced and sent to the zoning commission for further refinement; no final adoption occurred at the meeting.
