Mayor To Propose A Pause On Requests For Multi-Family Zones

FARMINGTON — Mayor Ernie Penn plans to recommend the Farmington City Council impose a six-month moratorium on any new requests to rezone land to a multi-family designation.

Penn gave the Farmington Planning Commission a heads-up last week on what he plans to do. The recommendation will be made at Monday’s council meeting (July 12) as a proposed ordinance.

The moratorium will not affect any land already zoned MF-1, which allows single-family homes and duplexes, or MF-2, a zone allowing higher density multi-family developments, such as triplexes, townhomes and apartments.

Penn’s proposal also will not affect multi-family developments that have already been approved by the planning commission.

“Anything you have in place now that is under construction or whatever, those will go forward, but if someone came and wanted a new rezoning for multi-family, we’re going to have a moratorium for at least six months,” Penn said at the June 28 planning commission meeting.

Penn said the recommendation for the moratorium is coming from him, not anyone else.

“The reason that I wish to do that, and this is totally me doing it, my request is so that gives you plenty of time to finish up your land use plan and also plenty of time to look at your rezoning areas that you may want to make some adjustments to,” Penn said.

Penn said he does not see a lot of new territory that could be used for multi-family developments, but admitted, “Hey, nobody knows. These things come up every day.”

Penn said he believes a moratorium is the “right thing to do right now.” A moratorium would take pressure off the planning commission and also would let developers know the city is not going to entertain any such requests until the commission finishes its work, he said.

Some residents have posted comments on social media and made comments at public meetings that they believe Farmington

has approved too many multi- family rezoning requests, and the city should only concentrate on single-family residences in the future.

Penn said he’s read these comments and heard people talk about it.

“People think we have too many multi-family rezoning requests. We really don’t,” Penn said last week after the meeting. “But that’s the perception people have.”

A new future land use plan, which is still in draft form, could affect areas that are suitable for multi-family zones, so Penn said he believes now is a good time to pause any new requests.

In addition, Penn said developers are saying they may have to slow down construction of multi-family developments because of the high costs of materials and how much they would have to charge for rent for cash flow.

“That doesn’t surprise me,” he told the commissioners. “Now, they’re looking at $1,200 to $1,800 for a duplex per side. That’s a lot. I can see how that would slow down the market.”

Several commissioners last week said “thank you,” when Penn told them about his proposal.

Commissioner Gerry Harris said she believes a moratorium would give the city some breathing room.

“We are growing so fast,” Harris said. “Multi-family developments bring in more people than single home residential. We need time to have a chance to revisit and update our ordinances to go along with our updated land use plan. I think this is a great idea and hopefully so does everyone else.”

Commissioner Judy Horne also said she was glad Penn will propose a moratorium. This will give the planning commission time to look at regulations and guidelines for multi-family developments, Horne said, noting citizens at every meeting with a multi- family rezoning request have “begged” the commission not to put in the units next to their single family homes.

“So we have to balance this out,” Horne said.

She wants to propose greater setback requirements between multifamily developments and single family subdivisions. This might make it more acceptable, Horne said, to residents who will have the developments “in their backyard.”

Another idea, she said, is to require more green space in multi- family developments. Not a park, she said, but some green space next to each building.

“These people deserve and need to have a little bit more green space,” she said.

A commission’s job is to protect the health and welfare of the community, Horne said.

“We want everyone to have peace and harmony,” she added.

Penn reminisced about past moratoriums approved by the council. At one point, the council imposed a moratorium on building permits because of sewer capacity.

Another one many years ago, Penn remembered, was a moratorium on “houses of ill repute.” Penn said someone had inquired about having a dance hall and similar venue, so the council imposed a moratorium until it could adopt an ordinance prohibiting such establishments.