Developer seeks two homes for essential workers on Autumn Ridge; setback variance needed

The Planning Commission on July 17 considered a proposal to subdivide a property at 6704 Autumn Ridge Drive into two lots to permit construction of two single‑family homes intended for essential workers. Michelle Figures of Figures Construction and Development said the parcel had previously contained a privately owned pool and pool house that the city acquired and demolished after a council declaration that the site was a public nuisance. Her firm bought the cleared parcel and built a first house intended to blend with the neighborhood under an affordable‑housing approach; the current proposal would add two more homes intended for "a teacher firefighter or police officer," she said. Commissioners and staff discussed a deviation from the Unified Development Code’s minimum lot square‑footage and corner‑lot setbacks. Staff clarified that dimensional standards such as setbacks are part of the UDC and not the subdivision regulations; to reduce a required setback the applicant must pursue a variance through the Board of Zoning Adjustment. A commissioner asked whether the commission could modify plat language or otherwise facilitate the variance; staff said the commission could add a condition that the city will not sign the final plat until any required variance is approved. On that basis the commission approved the subdivision subject to staff recommendations, amending the approval language to note that final plat approval will be withheld until any required variance or approval process is complete. No final plat signature or building permits will be issued until the variance process is resolved as required by staff and the UDC.