REDMOND – Long before Redmond annexes any new land, the city may eke out a few more acres of residential property through zone changes to bolster its supply.

The city has found itself in the midst of a residential land shortage that has driven home prices through the roof in recent years, city officials said.

The problem could be partially solved by an urban growth boundary expansion that will soon go into effect, but none of that land will be developed for at least another six months, according to city timelines.

In the interim, the city may be able to add a few dozen more homes to its inventory by rezoning commercial land to residential on several acres in north Redmond, said City Community Development Director Jim Hendryx.

”It’s really the whole issue with housing and affordability,” Hendryx said.

Already, one property owner – Tyler Fitzsimons, president of Desert Sun Development Inc. – has applied for a zone change from commercial to high-density residential on 4.39 acres, according to his application to the city.

And very soon, Hayden Homes, which owns a 9-acre parcel next door, could follow suit, according to the document.

Fitzsimons hopes to turn his property at 199 N.E. King Way into an 18-home subdivision, his application states.

This ”zone change proposal would allow (Fitzsimons) to develop the property with single-family residences to benefit the community by providing needed housing for families,” the application states.

Fitzsimons could not be reached for comment Friday.

A Hayden Homes representative declined to comment, but a recent letter from Hayden Watson, CEO of Hayden Homes, to the city stated that his property would better serve the community as residential rather than commercial.

Though the changes may be a win-win for developers and the city, Roger Lee of Economic Development for Central Oregon, a regional nonprofit economic organization, said changing land from commercial or industrial to residential can cause some problems.

In Bend, a great deal of commercial and industrial land has been converted to residential uses, which has created a shortage of places for business opportunities.

”That conversion has compromised a lot of communities,” he said. ”It’s happening all over the state.”

City officials said they don’t think the changes will hamper economic opportunities.

”It appears to us that we have an excess supply of commercial land on Highway 97,” Hendryx said.

The area will soon be under the microscope during an extensive master planning process. Developers and city officials have said they hope to see a mixed-use development emerge from that planning.

Making some changes to zoning now could help Redmond be prepared for that future, said Redmond Mayor Alan Unger.

”In my mind, it just makes sense to be looking at having more tools,” said Alan Unger of how the zone changes could benefit the city.

Once the city’s planning staff have completed the review of Fitzsimons’ application, it will be passed to the Redmond Urban Area Planning Commission, said Redmond Planner Sean Cook.

The commission will then make a recommendation on the zone change and send it on to the Redmond City Council for final approval.