08-15-1985 Public Hearing - Laserfiche WebLink

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Chairman Wilson and `,tubers of the Commission City of LaPorte Page ~ is a problem prevalent in the LaPorte area. The citizen comment indicates that increasing maximum height restrictions on single family detached dwellings to forty-five (45) feet from thirty- • five (35) would allow homes to b e built on stilts, and also would allow homes to have the grade buildup of a brick facade on the grading. Thirty-five (35) feet of height should allow for standard two story homes built on stilts, particularly when taking into account the fact that height, as defined, in this Ordinance, takes the average of the roof height above grade, as opposed to measuring from the peak of the roof to grade to obtain your height figure. Therefore dwelling units could actually be in excess of thirty-five (35) feet from the peak of the roof to grade, but would not be measured as such under standard code procedures in this Ordinance. In addition, it should be noted that our proposed flood zone Ordinance in all cases, either maintains current flood zone standards, or actually decreases flood zone requirements. Increase of a residential permissable height in a single family detached dwelling unit district would possibly provide for a lack of uniformity among adjoining homes in a particular neighborhood. On the other hand, there would be no impact regarding the ability of emergency equipment to service a forty-five (45) foot home, and in any case forty-five (45) feet as a permissabl e height for duplexes, townhouses, or multiple family dwelling units would not seem be inappropriate. ANALYSIS: Leave the height restriction at thirty-five (35) feet for single family detached, and discuss the need to in- • crease the height limitation to forty-five (45) feet for dup- lexes, townhouses, quadraplexes, and multiple family dwelling units according to citizen comment. The next citizen comment on Table R relates to density for single family detached dwelling units. Citizen comment indicates that density should be increased from 4.5 dwelling units per acre to 4.8 dwelling units per acre. .Also, in multiple family dwelling units citizen comment indicates that the density should be increased from the currently proposed 25.6 dwelling units per acre to 27 dwelling units per acre, which is the current requirement under Ordinance 780. The subject of resi- dential density received exhaustive coverage and debate by the Steering Committee. Review of the Citizen Committee Report, tog ether with pertinent sections of the Comprehensive Plan, reveal mixed ideas regarding density figures. The issue is of major importance when correlated to LaPorte's long term popula- tion projections, the ability of the City to provide services for a fixed number of population, and overall crowding and urban density within a limited geographic area. However, the changes are minor and would materially impact the City's ability