Council hears first reading to rezone portion of Century Heights subdivision

City planner Brendan Justin presented a first reading on June 9 seeking to rezone about 4 acres in the Century Heights subdivision from R4 (two-family) to R1 (single-family).

Justin said the subdivision, approved in May 2024 and completed in February 2026, contains 23 single-family (R1) lots and 12 two-family (R4) lots. Schuber Mitchell Homes purchased the development in March 2026 and began pulling permits for both building types. He described a specific constraint on lots 29A and 29B: a 100-foot KO Electric high-voltage transmission easement that encroaches about 60 feet into rear yards and, combined with an awkward, fanned corner lot and narrow street frontage, makes building a conforming two-family structure impractical.

"The remaining options were to either build a smaller kind of awkwardly oriented two-family structure ... or attempt this process: a rezone and a lot consolidation and build a single-family home that's more harmonious with the rest of the development," Justin said.

The proposal includes a conditional lot consolidation of lots 29A and 29B into a single lot 29; the consolidation is contingent on council passage of the rezoning. Justin told council the Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval, 6–0, and that staff supports that recommendation. The council opened a public hearing and closed it with no registered speakers.

This item was presented as a first reading; the council did not take final action at the June 9 meeting.