Committee discusses zoning barriers and 'missing middle' housing solutions

Committee members pressed the presenter on what housing product types could meet the projected demand. Jacob said barriers include building-code thresholds and fire standards that raise costs once a development exceeds two units, limiting duplexes, triplexes and quadplexes in many areas.

"Once you get to 3 or 4, that's when you have increased standards," Jacob said, arguing that state and local code thresholds and permitting complexity are a prohibitive factor for small-scale infill. Committee members pointed to permit-friendly changes in Hendersonville as an example of reforms that can yield more incremental units.

The presenter also described factory-built and modular options, citing a local company called Compact Cottages as an example of a prefab approach that could be permitted quickly and form part of a diversified production strategy. He noted stigma around manufactured housing remains a policy and political hurdle.

Panelists and the presenter identified site-selection constraints (steep slopes, floodplains, and privately owned underused commercial corridors such as mall sites) and emphasized the need for targeted land strategies, changes to zoning and development incentives to make 'missing middle' builds financially feasible. The committee did not adopt zoning changes at the meeting; members discussed these as policy directions to explore with planning staff.