Council discusses comp plan timeline, large-area planning and parking requirements

Council members spent the latter portion of the work session on long-range planning questions. Staff said the city needs to build a backward timeline to meet a comp plan approval target of Dec. 31, 2028, and proposed adding a defined staging or timeline subsection to the strategic initiatives so the council can track required steps.

The council discussed large-area planning as a tool to gate development and manage growth flow: members argued that planning larger sections (for example, several hundred-acre subsections) and then staging build-out over multi-year blocks could prevent back-loaded development that strains utilities and city services. Staff agreed to draft a proposed definition of a large-area plan, suggested staging options for the comp-plan decade, and return with a recommended approach.

Members also asked staff to review parking requirements, beginning with townhomes but with the option to expand to commercial standards, and report whether the current code is appropriate or should be simplified. No ordinance or action was adopted at the session; staff will place recommended follow-ups on future agendas.