Commission recommends removing minimum house‑size and exterior‑material mandates and unused zones from city code

Staff told the commission that several code provisions are now inconsistent with state law and local practice and recommended deleting them. The presentation noted that minimum house-size requirements and mandatory single‑family exterior material standards are no longer allowable under state statute and have not been enforced for years.

"The state says that we can't do it, and we'll just eliminate that from our books," the planner said of the house‑size rule. Staff also described removing rarely applied or unused zones — such as A‑10, A‑20 and M2 — that do not exist on the city’s zoning maps and produce unnecessary complexity. Commissioners moved to recommend approval of the omnibus amendments; the motion passed unanimously and staff said they will coordinate with council on the next steps.