Commission tables major single‑family/townhome code package after extended debate

The Planning & Zoning Commission heard an extensive staff presentation and engaged in a multi‑hour debate on a broad package of residential zoning updates (item C4). The proposal package would remove an unused 'estate residential' district, create a new 'compact residential' (CR) district allowing 60‑foot lots (6,000 sq ft), revise single‑family setbacks and façade/garage treatment rules, and amend Urban Residential (UR) townhome standards to add mandatory front‑facade design features and allow taller front‑entry townhomes in exchange for aesthetic requirements. Staff said the changes respond to council direction and prior workshops; commissioners asked about existing inventory, potential impacts to older areas (Ranchettes, Riviera Springs), how the rules would operate in planning areas and PDs, and the feasibility and market impacts of mandatory garage recessing and three‑story minimums for front‑loaded townhomes.

Several commissioners raised concerns about constructability and affordability (mandatory recessed garages and flipping driveways may be infeasible on lots with topography or existing infrastructure), potential up‑zoning effects adjacent to long‑established one‑story neighborhoods, and the limited turnout for staff informational meetings. Commissioners suggested workshops and additional outreach; one commissioner asked that staff identify a grandfathering mechanism for the 17 acres currently zoned Urban Residential to avoid unintended impacts. With no public testimony and persistent unresolved policy questions, Commissioner Schaeffer moved to table the entire C4 package for further review; the motion passed on a roll‑call vote (majority yes with one recorded nay).