Preservation commission recommends SPUD for 624 NW 25th after applicant agrees to reduce density and add open space

The Historic Preservation Commission recommended a proposed simplified planned unit development (SPUD01827) for 624 Northwest 25th Street to the Planning Commission after the applicant agreed to scale back the request and staff and commissioners negotiated conditions.

Staff described the SPUD as originally written to permit a lot split and up to four dwelling units (effectively doubling the site’s dwelling count), reduced minimum lot sizes, modified setbacks, and a request to lower required open space to 30 percent in order to allow higher lot coverage. Staff noted that the SPUD would retain the historic landmark overlay and that new construction or demolition would still return to the commission for design review.

Brady Smith (BMS Homes), representing the applicant, indicated a willingness to revise the proposal during the meeting. "We're open to doing that," Smith said when commissioners floated reducing the proposal from two duplexes to a single additional dwelling and changing open‑space and parking requirements.

Commissioners and public commenters voiced concerns about increased density, loss of green space, parking impacts on neighborhood streets, and the potential for SPUDs to be used to circumvent preservation goals. Several commissioners suggested concrete modifications the commission should forward to planning: reduce the number of dwellings allowed, increase minimum open space, and reduce required parking. After discussion, the commission voted to recommend approval of SPUD01827 to Planning with those changes; staff will refine the language before it goes to Planning Commission and, if forwarded by Planning, to City Council. The recommendation included: reduce the request to a single additional dwelling unit (rather than two duplexes), increase minimum open space to approximately 40 percent (staff to finalize), and retain the one‑space‑per‑dwelling baseline while recognizing the reduced dwelling count will lower total parking demand.

The related demolition application for the garage at the same address (HPCA26‑000030) was continued so that the applicant can provide additional documentation, including structural details and site plans, and to separate the demolition justification from the SPUD recommendation.

Next steps: staff will coordinate the agreed changes with the applicant and submit a revised SPUD to Planning Commission for its recommendation; records show the commission’s recommendation will be accompanied by the specific conditions discussed at the meeting.