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| Shoreline Planning Commission |
The Planning Commission Regular Meeting of July 18, 2024 was held in the Council Chamber using a hybrid format where both in-person and online attendance is allowed.
Staff Presentation by:
- Elise Keim, Planning Manager
- Steve Szafran, Senior Planner
- Emily Larson, Otak
Public Comment (letters)
During the 2023 legislative session the Washington State Legislature passed House Bill 1110, also known as the Middle Housing bill, which requires cities to allow middle housing in low-density residential zones within six months of their comprehensive plan adoption.
With this new state mandate Shoreline again pursued grant funding to update the city’s zoning code to allow middle housing in compliance with HB 1110. (Staff Report; emphasis added)
Middle Housing has been before the Planning Commission five times. In opening comments, commissioners talked about how they approached these discussions.
Middle Housing has been before the Planning Commission five times. In opening comments, commissioners talked about how they approached these discussions.
We don’t want our city to become a bunch of really big buildings with some pathways in between. And since we are still growing, we need to keep people’s wants and needs front and center so they want to continue to live here, and the next generation will want to stay here too.
In order to foster communication to determine a shared vision, there was a lot of public outreach. As a part of that they prepared an informational handout briefly summarizing middle housing.
Feedback
One thing that people were skeptical about is whether middle housing is going to move the needle on affordable housing. There appears to be a preference for lower height and smaller buildings in residential neighborhoods.
Per HB 1110 no on-site parking is required for middle housing within ½ mile of a major transit stop. Staff is proposing 0 stalls per unit in accordance with HB 1110, and 1 stall per unit for those farther than 1/2 mile of a major transit stop.
Proposed permitted housing types
Further discussion covered zoning (allowed uses and set-backs); fire requirements (for access, required hydrants, fire impact fees); potential side sewer upgrades; curb and sidewalk requirements; electricity to be underground.
Sprinklers are already required for new residential buildings and unit conversions. Middle housing will be subject to the same rules as single family dwellings.
*AMI is Area Median Income.
The above reference to Affordable Housing makes it clear that Middle Housing is not synonymous with Affordable Housing.
If a builder/owner/developer includes 1 or 2 units of affordable housing, they are able to build additional units as shown above.
Per HB 1110 middle housing cannot have any standards more restrictive than those standards for detached housing.
Middle Housing is scheduled to come before the City Council on July 29, 2024 as a Discussion Item. There will be no action taken at the meeting but I expect councilmembers will have questions. It will be interesting to hear what they have to say.
Feedback
One thing that people were skeptical about is whether middle housing is going to move the needle on affordable housing. There appears to be a preference for lower height and smaller buildings in residential neighborhoods.
Based on this preference, staff are looking at a form-based residential code rather than the current units-based code. “The code will focus on building height, width, and depth” as well as pedestrian and vehicle access.
Per HB 1110 no on-site parking is required for middle housing within ½ mile of a major transit stop. Staff is proposing 0 stalls per unit in accordance with HB 1110, and 1 stall per unit for those farther than 1/2 mile of a major transit stop.
Proposed permitted housing types
NR-3 includes those areas that are currently zoned R4 and R6, and are further from transit.
Further discussion covered zoning (allowed uses and set-backs); fire requirements (for access, required hydrants, fire impact fees); potential side sewer upgrades; curb and sidewalk requirements; electricity to be underground.
Sprinklers are already required for new residential buildings and unit conversions. Middle housing will be subject to the same rules as single family dwellings.
The above reference to Affordable Housing makes it clear that Middle Housing is not synonymous with Affordable Housing.
If a builder/owner/developer includes 1 or 2 units of affordable housing, they are able to build additional units as shown above.
Per HB 1110 middle housing cannot have any standards more restrictive than those standards for detached housing.
Staff are proposing to repeal Single Family Detached Residential Design regulations and replace it with Neighborhood Residential Design regulations. These are zone-based design standards and would also apply to any detached housing that occurs in these zones.
With that in mind, staff are proposing a light-touch on design standards and focusing on those standards that have public support and promote the city’s vision. (Staff report)
Go to this link FAQ HB 1110 to see a quick interpretation of this complicated HB 1110 prepared by the Washington Association of Cities
Go to this link FAQ HB 1110 to see a quick interpretation of this complicated HB 1110 prepared by the Washington Association of Cities
Middle Housing is scheduled to come before the City Council on July 29, 2024 as a Discussion Item. There will be no action taken at the meeting but I expect councilmembers will have questions. It will be interesting to hear what they have to say.
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