The first pieces of an ambitious package of housing legislation designed to clear the way for new building and increase housing density in Baltimore was advanced by a City Council committee Thursday, setting the stage for a discussion by the full council.

The council’s Land Use and Transportation Committee advanced bills that would allow people to build closer to their property lines and do away with requirements for off-street parking. Both were approved by split votes.

A third bill, which would eliminate a requirement for buildings between three and six stories to have more than one stairway, was discussed by the committee Thursday and will face its first vote next week. Feedback from council members and residents in attendance was largely favorable.

The bills, sponsored by various members of the council but spearheaded by Councilman Ryan Dorsey, are being considered as Baltimore undertakes a massive effort to turn the tide on its thousands of vacant homes. The $3 billion plan, rolled out by Mayor Brandon Scott in partnership with the Greater Baltimore Committee and faith-based group BUILD Baltimore, calls for the remediation of more than 35,000 properties over 15 years.

To accompany the proposal, Scott’s administration has made attempts to alleviate or remove numerous impediments to development in the city. Some pieces of the strategy have been slower to get off the ground than others. An attempt to overhaul the city’s notoriously slow permitting process has been dogged by problems.

The legislation being considered by the council mirrors zoning revisions passed in other cities around the country in the wake of a national housing supply shortfall that has made home and rent costs unaffordable. The package has the blessing of Scott. In May, when it was introduced, he said the “incremental” changes baked into the legislation should be embraced rather than feared.

Of the bills proposed, the plan to eliminate off-street parking requirements has been the subject of the most opposition so far. A hearing on the legislation last week drew a large and divided crowd. Officials had to turn off the microphone when former city councilman and opponent Joseph “Jody” Landers refused to cede the floor.

The proposal would eliminate requirements for developers to build a set number of parking spots along with new housing developments. Proponents of the plan argue the parking requirement increases the cost of new housing, an expense that is passed along to tenants and homeowners and keeps housing out of reach for those with low incomes.

Some city residents argued last week that Baltimore’s public transit system is not robust enough to do away with parking requirements. Others said the legislation would make neighborhoods less desirable and harm older adults who rely on cars.

Councilman Zac Blanchard, the bill’s sponsor, introduced an amendment to the legislation Thursday to make it clearer that buildings with existing parking would not need to eliminate spaces to comply with the law. The committee voted 5-2 to advance the bill with the amendment. Councilwomen Sharon Green Middleton and Phylicia Porter opposed the measure.

Middleton also cast the only vote against a bill to allow property owners to build closer to their property lines.

Discussion Thursday centered on Dorsey’s proposal to do away with a requirement for new buildings taller than three stories to have more than one staircase. The councilman argued the requirement, implemented in response to deadly fires that plagued the U.S. more than a century ago, was responsible for the proliferation of homogenous apartment buildings in Baltimore and elsewhere.

“Multifamily buildings in the U.S. are boring,” Dorsey said plainly at the start of the discussion. “Basically every new apartment building you’ve seen looks more or less like every other one you’ve seen.”

Dorsey argued a change in the rule will make developing smaller lots into housing more feasible by reducing the square footage that would be lost to hallways and stairwells. To minimize fire risk, the newly proposed code would require sprinklers and also mandate that stairwells be pressurized to ventilate smoke.

Josh Fannon, president of the local union representing fire officers, said he considered any revisions to the fire code to be “written in blood.” Revisions must be approached cautiously, he said.

“In my opinion, a high standard of care, collaboration, cooperation and due diligence did occur here in crafting this specific piece of legislation” he said, noting that he spoke to firefighters in New York who found similar regulations there did not diminish safety. “I stand here in support.”

Dustin Watson, a representative of the Baltimore chapter of the American Institute of Architects, testified that the legislation would propel development forward in the city. Many projects, particularly those that offer affordable housing, are shelved because of the costs involved, he said.

“In many cases, this will mean the difference between a project that remains a dream and one that gets built,” he said.

Others remained unconvinced that the legislation would have any positive impact on the city, particularly its affordable housing picture.

“I don’t want to pretend this is an affordability solution,” said Carson Ward, a resident of Reservoir Hill. ”What will you do to ensure affordability? How do we trust [the Department of Housing and Community Development] to manage this when their failures are very well documented?"