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Commissioners move to remove 50% painted-metal limit for accessory buildings, ask staff to rewrite standard
Summary
The commission questioned a code provision that limited painted-metal exterior walls on accessory buildings to 50%, directed staff to remove the numeric threshold and draft language emphasizing compatibility with the main dwelling's exterior, and noted possible exceptions and clarifications for shipping containers and corrugated metal.
Staff member (S2) presented a recent resident request for an accessory building that appeared to use painted metal for most of its exterior and asked the commission whether the existing 50% painted-metal threshold still reflected community expectations.
Commissioner (S3) and others said the current drafting risked excluding well-finished metal buildings and suggested focusing on visual compatibility rather than a fixed percentage. "I I can fix bad, but I can't fix ugly," relayed Commissioner (S6) quoting a police officer to illustrate limits of enforcement focused solely on nuisance complaints rather than appearance.
Commissioners discussed options including removing the 50% rule, requiring an exterior that is compatible in color or appearance with the primary dwelling, and allowing exceptions upon application. Staff (S2) noted the city cannot broadly regulate architectural style for single homes but can rewrite the standard to target specific undesirable elements (for example, shipping containers or corrugated metal that clearly reads as industrial on small residential lots).
The commission directed staff to draft code language removing the 50% painted-metal provision and to propose alternative wording about exterior compatibility for council consideration.
