A plan to update the city of Eureka’s zoning codes concerning where houses can be situated on lots has been put on pause.
Ward 2 Alderwoman Carleen Murray halted the proposed adjustment May 3 when she voted no on the third reading of a bill that would have kept the minimum lot size for homes the same but would have changed where houses could be located on lots.
Mayor Sean Flower said if one of the aldermen votes no on the third reading of a bill, it does not move forward to a final vote during the same meeting.
Ward 1’s Jerry Diekmann and Wes Sir, Ward 2’s Kevin Kilpatrick and Ward 3’s Maria Ascrizzi and Jerry Holloway voted yes to the proposed changes, which were initiated by city staff.
However, the Eureka Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-2 on April 27 to recommend against the proposed changes.
Sabo said Planning and Zoning members Ken Knap, Gary Bieg, Tom Barry and Jennifer Gianino voted against the adjustment, and Sir and Derek Wilton voted yes.
Commission members Jim Scheer, Ed Smith and Scott Pacino were not at the meeting.
Murray asked the aldermen to table the vote to give her more time to review the proposed changes.
“From what I understood, it was kind of insinuated that (Planning and Zoning) didn’t have all of the information that we had, and so that’s why they voted no,” she said. “I don’t build homes for a living. I need the extra time in order to think stuff through; it doesn’t come to me as easily.”
City Administrator Craig Sabo said the changes would allow developers to build larger homes on a lot or allow for more spacious backyards.
He said the proposed adjustment would allow homes built on lots zoned R-1 to be 20,000 square feet or larger, to have a 25-foot front-yard setback instead of 40 feet away from the street. He said setbacks for homes built on properties zoned as R-2, R-3 and R-4 would drop to 25 feet instead of 30.
R-2 zoning includes homes of 15,000 to 19,999 square feet; R-3 takes in homes 10,000 to 14,999 square feet and R-4 is for homes between 7,500 and 9,999 square feet.
Sabo also said requirements for side yards for properties zoned R-3 and R-4 would change with the setback dropping to 6 feet instead of 10 if the home is built on a corner lot or a lot with a double frontage.
Flower said the change would make Eureka’s zoning regulation more up to date, pointing out the 25-foot front-yard setback rule is used in the Legends, Arbors of Rockwood and Hilltop subdivisions.
The Board of Aldermen approved those setbacks.
Flower said by changing the setback rules, fewer homeowners would have to request variances to put in backyard pools and decks.
“A 25-foot setback from the street is pretty current, a more common type of zoning and it allows you to put more of your yard to use in your backyard,” he said.
Murray said if the market calls for bigger yards for pools or decks, developers should respond using the current standards.
“Maybe they should consider doing larger lot sizes,” she said.
Murray also said she was worried that the change would mean homes would be built too close together.
“Any subdivision requires Planning and Zoning Commission review and recommendation and ultimately an ordinance by the Board of Aldermen,” Sabo said.
Flower said the proposed zoning adjustments would not change lot sizes and would not increase housing density.
“You still have to have the same square footage in a lot. It just allows somebody more flexibility within a lot,” he said.
Sabo said the Board of Aldermen asked city staff to look into updating the zoning code during a March 1 executive session.
He said the discussion was in a closed session due to potential liability because of any proposed changes.
The Board of Aldermen next will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, at the Timbers of Eureka, 1 Coffey Park Lane.
Sabo said the proposed zoning changes will be on the agenda.
On May 8, Murray said she planned to vote against the modifications, but was open to changing her mind.