Staff seeks design flexibility, expanded small-lot allowances in UDO update

Brandon Cammarata, manager of the current planning division, updated the committee on a housing-code analysis that would expand small-lot and compact-housing allowances in the UDO to additional parts of the city (notably subareas A and B) and provide more design flexibility at both neighborhood and site levels.

Cammarata said the project aims to move away from rigid percentage caps toward more flexible approaches that preserve livability — adequate parks, quality frontages and walkability — while allowing a broader set of compact-housing products, including green courts, motor courts and alley-loaded options. He reported a series of developer roundtables over the past year, a productive in‑person roundtable on July 9, and a follow-up meeting scheduled for August 20 to review developer findings and staff responses.

Committee members asked about market acceptance of motor courts and shared-driveway arrangements, the trade-offs of front-loaded garages (including tandem configurations) versus on-street parking and how compact frontages affect outdoor private space. Cammarata said staff have approved variations through adjustments and variances and will present recommendations and alternatives to council at a study session likely in September or October, depending on package readiness.

The work is part of a broader effort to provide more tools for attainable housing while protecting neighborhood qualities; staff emphasized they will present pros and cons, alternatives and recommended code language as the project advances toward adoption.