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Commissioners weigh allowing residential uses on commercial ground floors
Summary
Staff proposed allowing 'flex' ground‑floor use in most commercial zones (excluding the shop‑front overlay), requiring construction and parking built to commercial standards; commissioners debated whether tenant‑improvement pathways or minimum commercial retention (e.g., 30%) should be required.
Staff presented a code amendment to permit flexible first‑floor use in most commercial zones — meaning first floors built to commercial standards (ceiling height, windows, energy and commercial parking) could be occupied as residences if desired. “Commercial flex space is the 1st Floor of a mixed use building…required to be constructed to full commercial standards,” Nicole Coleman (S6) said.
Commissioners raised tradeoffs: Chair (S1) and others asked whether the city should permit such conversions by ordinance or simply allow them as residential tenant improvements, and Commissioner Taylor (S4) suggested placing minimum commercial retention (for example, 30% commercial on certain overlays) to preserve retail vitality. Staff said developers told them market forces generally drive conversion back to commercial if that proves more profitable, but also acknowledged other jurisdictions use time limits or market‑study triggers to require reconversion in some cases. Nicole and Heather said the council asked staff to return with ordinance language after a study session and public hearing in December.
