The City Council on Tuesday will consider whether to set regulations for new residences on hillsides. Some residents over the past 18 months have pressed the city to create a policy that limits the density of development on slopes. The residents expressed concern that developers would use the maximum one-unit-per-acre density regardless of the steepness.
On July 11, the Planning Commission did not recommend a new hillside formula, citing present municipal code as sufficient guidelines.
City staff has recommended a sliding scale for the proposed residential-unit limits. A maximum of one unit per acre would still apply for a 0% to 10% slope. The number of units would decrease by 10% for every slope increase of 10%, with residential construction prohibited on slopes greater than 40%.
