Advisory committee leans toward replacing limited duplex district with broad 'NFR' missing‑middle zone

Consultants proposed three ways to handle the city’s limited 2F (duplex) district: keep 2F, replace it with a Neighborhood Flex Residential (NFR) district that permits missing‑middle housing, or eliminate 2F and allow duplexes in single‑family districts. Erica Craycraft said the team’s recommended path was the NFR option to simplify the code and align with prior assessment recommendations.

"Option b is in blue. That's our recommendation, and that would be to replace the 2F district with this NFR district that allows the wider variety," Craycraft said, explaining that in locations currently zoned 2F the new district would allow a range from single family up to neighborhood‑scale multifamily.

Commission debate focused on whether the replacement alone would be enough to increase housing supply or whether the city should also permit duplexes more widely. One commissioner framed the political and housing goal clearly: "My theme generally tonight is gonna be we should be making it easier to have as many different types of product out there for people to buy to bring down the prices of homes and have more... affordable things out there," a speaker said.

Staff and commissioners noted practical constraints: deed‑restricted HOAs could limit where duplexes could actually be built, market math may not favor teardown‑and‑replace in many neighborhoods, and allowing duplexes by right would require more detailed decisions about setbacks, height, parking and utilities. The advisory committee coalesced around option B (adopt NFR) while asking staff to evaluate option C (allowing duplexes in single‑family districts) as a possible later refinement or for targeted circumstances.

Next steps: staff will refine draft language for the joint workshop and consider how to present option C as a bounded alternative rather than an immediate citywide change.