Nooksack planners propose zoning changes to allow low‑income, mixed‑use housing and planned unit developments

City Planner Rollin Harper briefed the council on proposed updates to the city's Development Regulations on July 20. Harper said the package contains six items: updating Title 19 definitions to conform with the Growth Management Act (GMA); two proposed Commercial District updates to add low‑income and mixed‑use housing as conditional uses; and three Residential District changes to allow zero‑lot line development, keep duplexes as a conditional rather than an outright permitted use, and add low‑income and permanently supported housing and planned unit developments as conditional uses.

Harper also described technical adjustments: permitting an extra 50 percent capacity for a third or fourth unit on certain lots and modifying building‑height standards to allow elevation of ground floors in some flood‑plain locations. He said the proposal would give the Public Works Director discretion to increase building height to 35 feet where elevation is required; Commercial District heights could also be raised to 35 feet. Harper indicated he is coordinating these changes with Public Works Director Todd Daniels.