Proposed zoning code changes aimed at reducing residential density are not tough enough, according to a City Council committee.
After viewing the proposed changes, the Government Operations Committee Thursday afternoon sent them back for further review. The staff was told to determine if the city can set density standards even tougher than those sanctioned by the Building Officials and Code Administration International.
Mark B. Anderson, director of the city’s Division of Inspections and Permits, said he would look at similar Midwest communities to see if they have attempted anything like what Aurora is trying to do. He said he would give the results to the committee in two weeks.
The changes proposed by Anderson and the city legal staff, in keeping with BOCA International standards, called for at least a 70-square-foot bedroom for one occupant. A bedroom occupied by two people–the limit specified in the ordinance–would require 100 square feet of space.
In addition, the changes would have called for homes occupied by three to five people to have at least a 120-square-foot living room, 80-square-foot dining room and 50-square-foot kitchen. For homes occupied by six or more people, the requirements would be for a 150-square-foot living room, 100-square-foot dining room and 60-square-foot kitchen.
