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Commissioners debate height bands as staff urges flexibility for developers
Summary
Council and commissioners weighed 2, 4, 6 and 8‑story height bands for the city center; some members urged allowing taller core buildings with stepbacks, while others stressed infrastructure and parking constraints and proposed minimums to attract amenities.
Consultant Nathan Davis presented four height bands under consideration — "the sort of the high bands that we considered, were 2 stories, 4 stories, 6 stories, and 8 stories," he said — and explained that taller buildings can enable developer concessions such as underground parking and premium materials. Several commissioners argued for tapering tall buildings toward neighboring single‑family areas with stepbacks and topography to reduce visual impact.
Debate focused on tradeoffs: one commissioner recommended a minimum of four stories in the core to support amenities; staff cautioned infrastructure limits (water, sewer, fire access) could constrain height and footprint. On parking, one participant said, "I'm for all underground parking, especially for the apartment buildings because with our winters, people...would tend to rent those out or buy those out if they've got parking that's covered somewhere," and others noted elevator and building‑code triggers for buildings above four stories.
