HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 9131 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 9131
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council October 20, 2009
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SUBJECT: Single Family Design Standards Policy
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The purpose of this report is to document the City Council's recent policy decision regarding the
application of single family design standards to new housing construction.
In May 2006, the City Council adopted a Zoning Ordinance tent amendment creating design
standards addressing monotony, masonry, and garage setback requirements for new single
family houses (Ordinance 16925-05-2006). The City applied the standards only to building
permits for property platted after the effective date of the amendment. Given concerns about the
quality of new housing construction, and given the three years that have elapsed since the
creation of the design standards, the City Council recently determined that the standards should
be applied to all new single family building permits, regardless of the property plat date. Staff
began requiring that all applications for new single family construction received on or after July
16, 2009, comply with the design standards.
In July and August, the City Council received comments from builders requesting additional time
to comply with the garage setback standard. The City Council determined that staff should
suspend enforcement of the garage setback standard for permit applications received before
� January 1, 2010. Staff met with builders in September and developed the following compromise:
• Exempt lots from the garage setback standard that are both:
• Preliminary platted prior to June 1, 2006, and
• Final platted (recorded) by December 31, 2009.
• Apply the anti-monotony and masonry standards to all lots.
• Administratively allow the eight-foot garage setback for all lots to be measured from the
front porch (covered structural slab) where one exists.
Can October 13, the City Council informally endorsed the above compromise and asked staff to
implement it immediately.
Should you have any questions, please contact Dana Surghdoff, Planning and Development
Deputy Director, at 317-392-3018.
aetA. Fisselr, P,E. 4
City Manager
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