After nearly two hours of discussion, city commissioners on Tuesday deferred taking action on a request that would have changed the rules for boarding houses in the Oread neighborhood.

Commissioners said they were leaning toward asking the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission to consider a new regulation that would allow only houses of 4,500 square feet or more to qualify for a special parking provision that would make it easier for those homes to be converted in boarding houses.

Currently, homes that are 3,500 square feet or more qualify for the special parking provision, which allows developers to provide only .5 parking space per bedroom instead of the standard 1 parking space per bedroom.

But commissioners delayed the item for one week until staff members could provide a bit more information about how many homes in the Oread neighborhood would be eligible to use the relaxed parking standards.

The regulations for boarding houses will apply to all neighborhoods in the city that are zoned for multifamily use, but the largest impact is expected to be felt in the Oread neighborhood.