Title
ORDINANCE NO. 3369 AMENDING THE ZONING CODE REGARDING RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT
COUNCIL STRATEGIC INITIATIVE ADDRESSED:
Council Initiative: Strengthen economic conditions & create new opportunities, Preserve and enhance neighborhoods, Address quality of place issues
CITY ATTORNEY REVIEW: Required
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
At their December 7 meeting, the City Council considered a recommendation from the Planning Commission to amend the zoning code regarding residential development, especially high density (multifamily) residential development. It includes changes to the requirements for: minimum lot size, density, building height, maximum impervious area and design standards. It also contains changes to the off-street parking code. The changes to the off-street parking requirements will also affect multifamily development in commercial districts. The proposed code changes, if adopted, will allow for higher residential density.
The City Council unanimously passed a motion to accept the Planning Commission recommendation and to direct the City Attorney to prepare an ordinance for council review and approval.
At their December 21 meeting, the council considered adopting Ordinance No. 3369. A motion was made and seconded to adopt the ordinance. After some discussion, a motion was made and seconded to amend the ordinance. The amendment would eliminate multifamily development standards regarding façade requirements for modulation, architectural features and for building elevations to have a certain amount of entrances, windows, porches and/or balconies. The Council decided to table the amending motion and then decided to table consideration of the ordinance until their January 11, 2018 meeting. Councilmember Wallin mentioned that there is a second amendment to the ordinance that he would like the council to consider and that it had been previously distributed to council members and city staff. The second amendment would modify parking standards not only for multifamily development but for single-family and two-family development.
The Planning Commission recommended reducing the required amount of architectural features for multifamily development. The proposed amendment would take their recommendation further by eliminating building appearance standards [LMC 19.20.060(4) and (7)] altogether. The Council has the prerogative to modify the Planning Commission’s recommendation. Multifamily design standards were mentioned in the SEPA checklist as one of the items to be addressed. Thus, staff believes that the Council could adopt the amendment without further SEPA review. However, since eliminating those standards is considerably more than anticipated by the Planning Commission, City staff recommends that the Council direct the Planning Commission to consider the amendment and make a recommendation.
The second proposed amendment would reduce the amount of off-street parking required more than what was recommended by the Planning Commission. The further reduction in the required amount of off-street parking for multifamily development is again a Council prerogative and may be done without further SEPA review. However, the proposed amendment also includes reducing the required amount of off-street parking for single-family and two-family units from two parking spaces to one. This not only affects the high density residential districts it affects the low and moderate density districts. Approximately 40% of the City is zoned for single-family development. This impact to single-family zoning districts was not discussed by the Planning Commission or in the SEPA checklist. The City’s SEPA official has determined that this portion of amendment will require further SEPA review.
Since the City Council has expressed some urgency in addressing multifamily development standards, City staff recommends that the City Council adopt Ordinance No. 3369 as is. City staff further recommends that the Council direct the Planning Commission to consider the proposed amendments and forward a recommendation. The Planning Commission would then develop an initial recommendation, hold a public hearing and then make a final recommendation. This process would involve a new SEPA review process.
Attached are Ordinance No. 3369 and the two proposed amendments (the one that was tabled and the one that was not yet discussed).
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Motion to approve Ordinance No. 3369
Motion to direct the Planning Commission to consider the two proposed amendments and forward a recommendation to the City Council.
STAFF CONTACT:
Jim McNamara, City Attorney
Steve Langdon, Planning Manager