Lafayette and West Lafayette city councils pass ordinances paving way for townhome construction

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — More flexibility is coming for housing developers looking to build single-family homes within Tippecanoe County.

During the March Area Plan Commission meeting, assistant director Ryan O'Gara said the creation of a new zoning ordinance, allowing for the development of single-family, owner-occupied townhouses within the county, would be the "missing link" needed to improve the area's housing market. Since 2022, a matter-of-right zoning pathway to make for easier development of townhouses has been in the works between the Area Plan Commission and administrative officers from both Lafayette and West Lafayette.

The only way single-family townhomes could currently be developed within the city of Lafayette, city attorney Jacque Chosnek said, would be under the planned development zoning process. At Monday night's Lafayette City Council meeting, council members voted unanimously to approve a new "R1T" zone specifically for the construction of townhomes, stipulating they may only be constructed where public water and sewer services are available.

The new R1T zone will replace R1Z–Zero Lot Line Zone, which was never utilized since its inclusion in the 1998 New Unified Zoning Ordinance.

According to the new R1T ordinance, the zone's development standards take two paths based on whether the unit's garage is loaded in the front or the rear of the home, with either case offering building heights of up to three-stories high.

Meanwhile on the other side of the Wabash River, the West Lafayette City Council also unanimously voted to approve a similar ordinance, permitting the construction of townhomes within city limits and on public water and sewer services as well.

Chosnek said by stipulating that construction occur where public services are available paves the way for more urban development in tighter, dense spaces, such as downtown Lafayette.

"The urbanized sewer zones, which are really the core, old downtown, where development is very dense," Chosnek said. "So (R1T) is more for infill projects and the very dense kind of urban areas."

Lafayette mayor Tony Roswarski said while no developers had approached the city looking for a zoning option like R1T, this new ordinance would open a door for new further developments.

"I think it will be popular as people learn about it and look at the opportunities," Roswarski said. "It's not all going to be in downtown. I don't think it will be with the other ground that we're opening up in different places. I think you'll see this used in different locations throughout the community."

Reporter Noe Padilla contributed to this story.

Jillian Ellison is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. She can be reached by email at jellison@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @ellison_writes.