Title
Ordinance - Third and Final Reading of an Ordinance Amending Section 4600.D.15 of the Zoning Ordinance to Revise the Regulations on Reduced Size Lots (OA#18-002B)
Requested Action
To consider the proposed Zoning Ordinance amendment.
Recommendation
The Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing on November 5, 2018, and voted 7 to 0 to recommend approval.
Description/History
First Reading
On August 6, 2018, the City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission held a joint work session with City Council to discuss several amendments to the Zoning Ordinance. As part of that discussion, Staff was directed to draft an amendment revising the regulations in Section 4600.D.15 of the Zoning Ordinance related to reduced size lots.
Section 4600.D.15 currently allows 20 percent of the lots in a single-family residential subdivision of 30 lots or more to be reduced from the minimum zoning district requirements to a minimum lot area of 7,200 square feet and a minimum lot width of 65 feet.
The Planning and Zoning Commission held a discussion on the amendment on October 15, 2018, and a public hearing on November 5, 2018, and recommended approval of the following changes:
Only developments of 100 lots or more may have reduced size lots. This is an increase from current standard of 30 lots or more. In a development with fewer than 100 lots, there will not be a sufficient number of reduced size lots to provide a variety of lot sizes.
The total number of reduced size lots in a development has been reduced from 20 percent to 10 percent.
For developments with SF-12/22, PR, SF-9.6/20 and SF-8.4/18 zoning, any reduced size lot must comply with the next lower zoning district. For example, developments with SF-12/22 zoning may have reduced size lots that comply with the SF-9.6/20 zoning district standards. This method of reduction provides clear standards that the reduced size lots must meet.
Reduced size lots have been eliminated for developments with SF-7.5/18 zoning. The difference in the minimum lot size from 7,500 square feet to 7,200 square feet is not great enough to warrant a reduction in lot size.
These changes are incorporated into the draft ordinance. There is also a redlined version of the amendment to show the changes from the original text.
Second Reading
As requested by Council, the amendment has been revised to clarify that the minimum floor area of houses on reduced size lots must meet the requirements of the base zoning district rather than the lower zoning for the reduced size lot (see underlined text below):
“15. For developments with one hundred (100) lots or more, a maximum of ten (10) percent of the residential lots may be reduced to the size allowed in the next lower zoning district from the current zoning of the development as shown in the table below:
Base zoning district 10% of the lots may be:
SF-12/22 or PR SF-9.6/20
SF-9.6/20 SF-8.4/18
SF-8.4/18 SF-7.5/18
The reduced size lots must comply with the minimum lot area, minimum lot depth, minimum lot width, and minimum setbacks of the lower zoning district that they are designated. The minimum floor area of houses on reduced sized lots shall be the same as the minimum floor area required for the base zoning district.
The location of the reduced size lots must be shown on the preliminary plat of a qualified development to be dispersed throughout the development such that they are not concentrated in any particular phase, block or area of the development. In a development with three or more blocks, there shall be no more than one-third (1/3) of the total allowable reduced size lots within each block. To ensure that the reduced size lots are dispersed according to the provisions of this paragraph, the Director of Planning must approve the design and location of the lots before the preliminary plat of the development is presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission for approval.”
Justification
See information above.
Funding Source
Not applicable
Prepared By
Lisa Sudbury, AICP
Interim Director of Planning
817-276-4227