Council Passes Duplex; Non-Discrimination Policy; LED Bills

The Metro Council approved on final reading last night, a bill that will allow duplexes to be built as separate houses.

Currently the Metro code requires duplexes to be built with at least 8 feet of shared walls and roof line, so developers in recent years built two separate houses connected with room that looks like a shed.

Some council members had expressed concern that the bill could encourage the tearing down of old homes if property owners could build two back, but bill sponsor Councilman Charlie Tygard says that’s not the case.

“Don’t read into this more than what’s there. If you have the right to do it, you can do it now, you just must do this crazy wall. That’s all it is.”

Councilman Jason Holleman amended the bill as expected last night, to allow some urban areas to get rid of the connecter wall. In a previous meeting, the council amended the proposal to exempt areas with historic overlays and the entire urban core.

The Council also approved on third and final reading last night, an ordinance establishing a non-discrimination policy to assist small, minority and women-owned businesses win government contracts. The ordinance will break up large contracts into more manageable ones, so small companies can compete.

Councilman Ronnie Steine’s bill to control electronic, LED signage passed on first reading last night as well.

Steine says LED signs are already prohibited in residential areas. He says state law changed two years ago to increase the distance between signs to 2,000 feet.

“It also slowed down moving signs. Our local law was not in compliance with that and this essentially brings us under state law.”

Electronic signs have been a matter of controversy in recent weeks after Councilman Charlie Tygard filed a bill to allow churches and schools to have LED signs to scroll events and information. Many neighborhood groups opposed that bill saying the signs are too bright for residential areas. The Planning Commission voted down the proposal last month, reversing an earlier decision to approve it.