REDMOND — Downtown Redmond’s 100-foot building height limit was the subject of contention as the Redmond Planning Commission and the Downtown Urban Renewal Advisory Commission met Monday to discuss a proposed “overlay district” that would guide future development of the city’s core.

The proposed overlay district is roughly bordered by the Highway 97 reroute, the South Y, Antler Avenue and Ninth Street. Inside this area, the city would impose conditions beyond the current zoning that would govern acceptable standards on design, development and signs.

Since a 2005 consultant’s report, the urban renewal commission has been exploring the idea of creating an overlay district with the help of city staff. Monday’s workshop was an effort to catch up the Redmond Planning Commission on the work done during the past two years.

During the meeting, the urban renewal and planning commissions made their way through the list of proposed development standards. Design and sign standards are scheduled to be addressed at another joint meeting scheduled for Nov. 5.

The height limit issue illustrated some significant divisions between members of the two commissions, many of whom oppose 100-foot buildings, and the City Council, which has been content to leave the current height limit in place.

In 2002, the city modified the 60-foot maximum height limit in downtown to a 100-foot height limit in a seven-block area between Deschutes and Forest avenues, Ninth Street and the alley between Sixth and Seventh streets. The change was made to accommodate an office tower project proposed on the vacant lot north of City Hall. While the project never materialized, the 100-foot zone has remained in place.

Recommendations developed by a urban renewal commission subcommittee propose that downtown’s tallest buildings be situated on the other side of the core, in the 2½ blocks closest to the eastern edge of the overlay district. The recommendation calls for a 60-foot height limit in this area with buildings up to 75 feet allowed under a conditional use permit. The bulk of the district would retain the current 60-foot maximum, while buildings on the western edge between Eighth and Ninth would be limited to 40 feet, with 60 feet allowed under a conditional use permit.

In past urban renewal commission discussions, members raised concerns that 100-foot buildings would be incompatible with Redmond’s narrow streets and single-family homes located nearby. The tallest building currently in downtown is the Historic Redmond Hotel at slightly over 50 feet.

“I don’t know what a 100-foot building looks like on a 60-foot right-of-way, but I’m envisioning this narrow tunnel that isn’t that appealing to walk down,” said Planning Commissioner Camden King. King said he was troubled that the City Council is reluctant to revisit the height limit issue.

Four city councilors were in the audience Monday night, and at times, members of the two commissions attempted to question them on the matter. Council President George Endicott said the issue had been revisited three times since 2003 but did not elaborate further.

Sheryl Smith, the chair of the urban renewal commission, said the commissions were wasting their time fighting the 100-foot height limit so long as the City Council is inclined to let it stand. As advisory boards, both the Planning Commission and the urban renewal commission must know that not all of their recommendations will be accepted, she said.

Lawrence Schechter of the urban renewal commission said 2002 was “light years ago” in the city’s urban renewal efforts and urged that the council reconsider the height limit. Nadine Nyman of the Planning Commission agreed.

“Even though it sounds like this dead horse has been dragged around Redmond for a while, maybe it’s time we gave it a fair shake,” she said.

In other matters considered Monday, the commissions looked at a proposal to bar future industrial and automotive-oriented businesses from locating in the overlay district. Commissioners largely agreed that manufacturing and auto-oriented businesses like repair shops and service stations are incompatible with the pedestrian-oriented downtown they hope to create but said they need more information on how the proposal might impact existing businesses.

Commissioners also requested further information on a proposal that would mandate that 60 percent of a new building’s length consist of windows, asking for city staff to provide them with illustrations. Schechter said such a requirement would limit developers’ architectural options and guarantee energy-inefficient buildings.