Duplex Development Approved In Umatilla

    The Umatilla City Council on Tuesday night gave initial approval to plan that looks to redevelop an area in downtown from commercial to residential use. The council approved a request from Avenue Real Estate Holdings, LLC to develop a site along Lone Star Street into duplexes, with an existing building possibly being renovated into a duplex or demolished.
   The site covers just over .6 acres, and would include three duplex units. The approved densities of eight units per acre is lower than the site’s current general commercial land use,and represents a ‘down zoning’ that reduces potential density. Each unit is expected to be 1,300 square feet, and include a single car garage.
   “The proposed rezoning is a downsizing and would create a transitional area between the commercial use on the west and the single-family use on the east,” stated a city staff report on the matter. Additionally, “the proposed rezoning would decrease the potential daily trips” in the area.