The squeeze is on. Again. Union City residents dissatisfied with high-density residential zoning have even less to look forward to.

A March 20 city council vote reduced setbacks on Residential Medium Density 1 (RMD-1) zoned property. Prior to the vote the setback requirement was 30 feet on the front and rear of the residence and 10 feet on the side. The council decided to forego a recommendation by Southeastern Engineering, Inc. to shrink front and rear setbacks to 20 feet and side setbacks to five feet. Retaining the 20-foot recommendation for front and rear, the council took the recommendation of city staff to compromise the side setbacks to 7.5 feet, thus allowing 15 feet between homes.

Commenting on the staff recommendation prior to the vote, city community development director Ann Lippmann said staff did not see the purpose of the large front and rear setbacks and recommended reducing those requirements. Staff did have concerns about reducing side setbacks to five feet which only leaves 10 feet between structures, she said.

Highpoint Road residents dotted the council meeting landscape throughout a portion of 2006, expressing their frustration at the high density they said directly contributed increases in traffic woes and various types of crime. Some of those residents stood nearly speechless during the 2006 annexation process when the council rezoned a significant portion of those properties with a similar high-density designation.

Union City’s Planning Commission approved the RMD-1 measure at a previous meeting on a 2-1 vote. RMD-1 zoning carries a maximum of four single-family detached units per acre.

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