Cottage Housing is returning to Shoreline with new regulations

Example of cottage housing on a cul-de-sac

By Pam Cross

Cottage housing is a type of "missing middle" housing that generally allows for small 1 or 2 story houses arranged around a common interior courtyard.

“Missing middle” housing represents the price gap between apartments or townhouses and single family detached homes. Cottage houses are small and may allow for naturally moderate-income housing that is well suited to seniors and small families. They blend easily in single family neighborhoods, appearing similar to single family houses from the street.

The City of Shoreline had cottage housing regulations and permitted some cottage housing developments from 2000-2004. Some developments were more successful than others at achieving the community’s vision for cottage housing. The old regulations were repealed in 2006. To date there are 56 cottage homes across seven developments in Shoreline.

As part of public outreach, there was a virtual meeting of the Cottage Housing Focus Group on September 2, 2022. It was attended by representatives from the Echo Lake, Ridgecrest, Richmond Beach and Hillwood neighborhoods. There were lively discussions about parking, tree retention and landscaping, as well as suggestions for amenities such as the ability to charge electric cars.

Example of cottage housing around a central courtyard

Now there is an opportunity for everyone to share their thoughts about cottage housing.

Shoreline residents are invited to a virtual open house on Zoom about cottage housing on Wednesday, October 5, 2022 from 6:30 - 8:30pm.

The open house is a time for you to learn about cottage housing and a time for the city to listen to your thoughts about cottage housing. There will be a presentation about cottage housing (what is it, why is the city doing this), a project update, general questions and answers, and then small group discussions where you can share your opinions about cottage housing in Shoreline with a member of city staff.

Registration is required.

Zoom Registration: Registration in advance is required and you can register at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvd-iqrj4qGNFwg4ff3ZFzV_5NaZ0cSmXc

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

If you are unable to make it, the presentation will be recorded and posted on the project webpage at: www.shorelinewa.gov/cottagehousing