The Berea Planning Commission will resume discussion of possible changes to the city’s land use and development ordinance, aimed at streamlining regulations and promoting more housing construction in the city.
The first round of talks occurred at the commission’s May 14 meeting, in which Codes Enforcement Administrator Amanda Haney introduced a number of proposed changes to the city’s current land use ordinance. The commission will take up the topic again in a work session scheduled for next Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the Berea City Council chambers.
Haney said one of the objectives of revisiting the city’s land management and development ordinance, which has not been revised since 2018, is to give the commission more flexibility when it comes to approving projects that will promote new housing opportunities.
For example, Haney cited a recent case in which a developer proposed a 55+ residential community that was comprised of multiple duplexes. However, surrounding residents objected because rezoning under current regulations would have also allowed developers to construct apartment buildings if plans for the retirement community fell through.
To remedy that problem, the city could allow the commission the option to request a development plan before considering a zone change, ensuring a proposed project is consistent with the surrounding neighborhood and community standards.
Another change under consideration includes the revision of lot sizes for single family homes. Since January, Mayor Bruce Fraley and Councilman Jerry Little have questioned whether it would encourage more development if the required width of building lots was reduced from 100-feet-wide to 80-feet-wide.
The required lot width size in the city of Richmond is 75 feet, though Haney said Berea should pursue a balance between encouraging more building and maintaining the city’s long-held standards.
“This is one of those hot topics in the planning world right now when we talk about housing affordability and what cities can do,” Haney said. “In my opinion, I think Berea needs to preserve a less dense single family residential [lot size]. We are willing to compromise and lessen that to 10,000-square-feet and 80 feet across the front.”
Another important proposed change involves accessory dwelling or so-called “mother-in-law units. Their use would be allowed in residential zones, though they would not be approved for rental for compensation, Haney said. The primary residence on the property would have to be owner-occupied, she added.
The revised regulation would observe the city’s density requirements, require additional parking spaces, if needed, allow for attached or detached building, allow for location above a garage or apartment, and would have to conform with the same fire, safety, health and sanitation requirements as other housing.
Haney also recommended disbanding the Berea Architectural Review Board, a government committee that has not met in 15 years, according to Haney. The purpose of the committee was to ensure proposed buildings meet certain aesthetic requirements. Those duties will now be folded into the planning commission.
Regarding short term rentals, Haney said the city will not require conditional use permits for Air BnBs in R-3 multifamily and business zones, but the city will require conditional use permits for short term rentals in R-1 single family residential, R-1A city home, R-1T townhome, and R-2 duplex homes. Haney said the conditional use permit process will remain in effect for those zones to give neighboring residents input.
“In having these [permit] hearings on short term rentals, in certain subdivisions, there were adjacent property owners and community members who were concerned about a saturation point. What is the point at which you’ll change my subdivision?” Haney said.
Haney said allowing too many short term rentals in a neighborhood could change the character of a neighborhood. Requiring a conditional use for short term rentals in residential zones enables neighboring residents to be notified and to express their concerns about a proposed permit.
Concerns about affordable housing were raised last year beginning with Mayor Fraley’s State of the City Address. At that time, Fraley said the city needs to encourage the building of more housing to accommodate the growing number of industrial workers in the city.
In January, Berea Planning Commissioner Stephanie Hembree released a report noting that the median price of a home in Berea had increased to $260,000 – a 47 percent increase since 2019.
Hembree added there is an acute need for rental housing as well, with 41 percent of Berea’s population renting while only 2.4 percent of the housing in town is available for rental.
Commissioner Martin Richards stated at the time that home ownership is a critical component of family financial security. Younger residents may not see it the same way, Haney said at the time, noting that the word at planning conferences is that recent generations seem to be shying away from home ownership and the acccompanying responsibilities of property upkeep and management.
Other proposed changes will be addressed at the Berea Planning Commission’s May 28 work session.
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