Duplexes could look different after Goddard City Council vote. Here are details

Duplexes have played an important role in Goddard’s recent growth, with more than 200 building permits issued for the twin-home dwellings since 2020.

But future duplexes will look significantly different, and perhaps be more costly, if the Goddard City Council approves proposed changes to how such properties must be built when it meets on May 18.

City Manager Craig Crossette provided these highlights of the possible changes, which were discussed May 11 at a joint Planning Commission-City Council meeting:

• Duplexes may not make up more than 40 percent of the total number of homes in future developments.

• New design standards would seek to diversify the look and improve the perceived quality of these properties.

• New developments would also be required to have a neighborhood park or common open space with at least three amenities for residents. At least one of those must be an active amenity such as playground equipment, trails, open lawn play areas, picnic facilities, benches, shade structures, sport courts or other improvements approved by the city.

• Five-foot-wide sidewalks would be required on all through streets in new developments featuring duplexes, and a minimum of two trees per lot will be required before a certificate of occupancy is issued.

• Varied porches, rooflines and facade depths would be required to create variety and individuality of the dwelling units. In addition, windows must make up at least 10% of the front wall of each home, and garage doors may not take up more than 50% of the front of the home.

• A minimum of 30% of front exterior walls or side walls that face the street would be required to be finished with decorative masonry, stone or stucco. “Synthetic or imitation materials with a false or ‘tacked on’ appearance” will not be allowed without the written approval of the city manager or his or her designee, according to wording used during the joint Planning Commission-City Council meeting on May 11.

• Roofs and exterior paint colors would have to be varied and have predominantly earth-tone colors.

• Side and rear elevations, garages, carports and all accessory structures would have to show the “same level of design, aesthetic quality and architectural detailing” as the front-facing parts of the main structure. “Long, monotonous rows of garage doors and building walls” would not be allowed, according to wording used during the presentation.

Until now, Goddard has approved or denied each duplex project on a case-by-case basis.

“We’ve never had an official document in writing,” Crossette said. “We’ve been working over the last three or four months [to create a document] that uniformly applies restrictive covenants on duplexes that are going to be built.”

A possible downside to the tighter regulations, Crossette acknowledged in an interview with The Eagle last month, is that the mandates may mean higher rental rates.

The number of people renting instead of owning duplexes in Goddard was not immediately available. Several developments – both those still under construction and those fully developed – had For Lease and For Rent signs earlier this week.

In a field adjacent to the entrance of the 32-unit Lions Den development, which is being built catty-corner to Goddard High School, API Property Management has a prominent For Lease sign. At least two Lions Den duplexes were listed on its website earlier this week – one renting for $1,250 and another renting for $1,350. Both feature three bedrooms and two baths and a total of 1,200 square feet. The less expensive unit will be available for occupancy in mid-October, and the other unit scheduled for occupancy on Dec. 11.

On the other side of U.S. 54, off 199th Street, a finished development featuring a mix of duplexes and single-family homes had a For Rent sign in the yard of the first duplex in the neighborhood. Information on it was not immediately available.

The Goddard City Council meets at 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 118 N. Main.