Editor’s note: Tuesday evening’s Iowa City City Council meeting began with a series of anti-semitic and racist comments from online meeting participants. Such rhetoric is deplorable and dangerous. White supremacy has no place in Iowa City or any community. To use a public forum for hate speech while hiding behind a screen is beyond cowardly. Statement from city.
IOWA CITY – The Iowa City City Council voted to pass second consideration of the Title 14 Zoning Code amendment package five votes to two during the October 17th formal meeting. Final consideration and adoption of the proposal will be possible at the Council’s next formal session on November 7th. Councilor Taylor, after supporting the proposal in first consideration, joined Councilor Thomas in the no column.
A response to a growing housing shortage, the zoning amendment proposal seeks to expand housing supply, choice, and affordability. Notable changes would decrease minimum lot sizes, allow duplexes and attached zero-lots in broader contexts, reduce barriers to mixed uses in existing commercial zones, and expand a density bonus incentive to most residential zones. City planning staff is additionally seeking to deregulate accessory dwelling units, which will be considered separately by council.
Council Deliberations
Second consideration of the proposal was initially delayed on October 3rd by request of Councilor Thomas with the goal of exploring additional regulatory incentives for the creation of income-restricted housing units. As a result, Thomas proposed a new amendment for the University Impact Area that would only allow mid-block duplexes if one unit is income-restricted affordable housing.
The intention of the new amendment was to directly induce income-restricted units, while preserving the stability and character of historic close-in neighborhoods according to Thomas’ comments. Because of Iowa state law, affordable housing incentives must be voluntary, rather than compulsory. The new amendment failed to find broader support of the council, in part because addition of the new rule would require the whole amendment package to return to the Planning and Zoning Commission in a months-long process.
City Manager Fruin expressed that city staff believe the nature of the rule would inhibit any construction of duplexes or affordable units, despite its intentions. Little incentive would exist for developers to replace an existing home with a duplex if only one unit can be market rate. The developer would endure the expenses of constructing two units while trading an existing market rate unit for another market rate unit. In such a situation, any potential profits would be greatly reduced or completely eliminated.
Given its inhibitory nature and the delay it would impose, Thomas’ proposed rule would effectively serve as a poison pill, sugar-coated with inclusive policy language, to the broader zoning amendments. The Councilor’s comments reflected many oppositional comments made by residents of the Northside neighborhood, yet Thomas seemed supportive of applying upzoning to areas outside of the Northside and University Impact Area. Such concerns about increasing housing supply within one localized area, but not other areas are suggestive of NIMBYism. Familiarity with Thomas’ past actions as Councilor makes his opposition somewhat unexpected.
Housing Need
In contrast to the opposition of Councilors Thomas and Taylor and Northside residents, the public hearing drew supportive statements from a variety of Iowa Citians, including many members from the local advocacy group Eschucha Mi Voz. The organization represents the interests of immigrants and refugees and its commenters told stories of their struggles with securing housing for their families in Iowa City.
Central to the debate among supporters and detractors appears to be a question of balancing the material needs of renters and future community members against the interests of existing homeowners. While zoning alone is unlikely to resolve housing needs with immediacy, exclusionary single-family zoning remains an enduring systematic barrier to affordable housing and building a better Iowa City.
Many of the University Impact Area neighborhoods, including the Northside, were established and matured long before modern zoning codes were developed; detractors should rest assured that they will continue to flourish in the face of the proposed, incremental changes.
Next Steps
Council will hold their final consideration and public hearing of the Title 14 amendments during their next formal meeting scheduled for November 7th at 6pm. Passage at this meeting would result in the zoning changes taking effect immediately.
Public comments regarding the proposal can be sent to [email protected] or by attending the November 7th meeting online or in-person at Iowa City City Hall.
Stay tuned for a full analysis of the zoning amendments.