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Commission backs technical edits to 'new construction' and building-height rules
Summary
Staff recommended aligning the municipal definition of "new construction" with an administrative council policy and removing the ambiguous "overall plate height" term in two residential zones; commissioners supported the cleanup and asked for clearer publication to council.
Staff recommended updating the municipal code's definition of "new construction" to match an administrative policy adopted by the city council, which uses exterior wall and roof-area thresholds (less than 50% remaining) to determine when a project is treated as new construction. Commissioners agreed this would avoid treating many interior renovations as new construction and supported adopting the council policy in the code.
Staff also recommended removing a vague municipal limitation phrased as "overall plate height" in the R144 and R120 zones (currently expressed as a 20-foot limit) in favor of clearer building-height and setback standards. Commissioners endorsed the cleanup and asked staff to present the revised text with clear cross-references when the ordinance goes to council.
