The Auburn Planning Commission unanimously approved a revision to the city's height ordinance on Thursday.
Changes to the height ordinance were originally scheduled to be discussed by the Planning Commission at their meeting on Feb. 9, but it was tabled for further revision because some citizens were concerned about some points.
The revision passed Thursday with some changes.
“We feel that this is a much more well-rounded definition for height and how structure height will be examined,” said Forrest Cotten, Auburn Planning Department director. “It’s considerably more thorough than anything we’ve had in place to date.”
The height limit for structures within the Urban Core zone is set at 75 feet, while the limit for structures within the College Edge Overlay zone is set at 65 feet.
However, accessory rooftop structures like chimneys, flag poles, fire escapes, elevator enclosures and stairway enclosures will be able to exceed the height limit by no more than 12 feet, while parapet walls may only exceed the limit by 4 feet.
Also among the changes are clarifications of the term “habitable space,” which is defined in the ordinance as “a space in a building for living, sleeping, eating or cooking. Bathrooms, toilet rooms, closets, halls, storage or utility spaces and similar areas are not considered habitable spaces.”
Ornamental or architectural features of a building, such as church steeples or clock towers, may exceed the building height limit by 25 percent of that limit.
Certain structural amenities used for recreation like an unenclosed pool or jogging track are not allowed to exceed the height requirements of the building’s respective zone.
However, some Auburn residents still had concerns. During the Planning Commission meeting, Cotten presented a petition signed by 19 people. It urged the Commission to maintain the 75-foot height ordinance in the Urban Core without exception.
Several Auburn citizens also questioned certain aspects of the revised height ordinance during the public hearing, such as the supposed ambiguity of the term “enclosed” as it related to potential recreational structural amenities as well as fearing that Auburn might lose its “Loveliest Village on The Plains” aesthetic.
Commissioner Charles Pick addressed some of these concerns by reminding the public that any proposed structure that seems “out of character” or “ludicrous” in Auburn will be blocked.
“We do have a planning department that is here for these particular reasons,” said Commissioner Sarah Brown, owner of the downtown retail store Wrapsody. “We’re up here because we love Auburn. That’s why we’re here. We’re trying to be productive in helping make decisions for that and moving forward to better our community.”
In order for these changes to go into effect, the Auburn City Council must approve them at its next meeting.
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