The Washington Association of Fire Marshals is proposing changes to Washington state building code that would require five-foot wide access path to accessory dwelling units, but builders paint the requirement as overkill, adding another obstacle to housing development.
Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) just got a bit easier to build in Seattle, as legislation passed in May went into effect yesterday. The reform will help Seattle meet state mandates to make ADUs easier to built. Ultimately, wider middle housing reforms planned in the coming months may prove more attr
The Snohomish County Council has further liberalized accessory dwelling unit (ADU) regulations in urban unincorporated areas, building on reforms enacted in 2021. Spurred by state reforms, the County will be allowing more bulk flexibility and ending common ownership requirements for ADUs, and allowi
Mayor Harrell unveiled legislation allowing larger ADUs and streamlining regulations to make them feasible on more lots. The proposal would implement a state requirement and offer some additional reforms beyond that baseline.
Accessory dwelling units like backyard cottages and basement apartments support sustainable development plans as they typically require fewer resources during construction, are energy-efficient, and minimize urban sprawl. They are one effective way to add density to single family areas.
Seattle Public Utilities is using “No Tap” water mains to extort homebuilders for system upgrades. The gauntlet created by Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) for access to the public water system is taking a toll on new housing, including accessory dwelling units (ADU) infill projects. Only 37% of ADU permits submitted
With a unanimous vote to conclude Tuesday’s meeting, Bellevue City Council initiated planning work that would allow middle housing — such as accessory dwelling units (ADUs), backyard cottages, duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes — in more parts of the city. The proposal represents a next step in the Council’s “Next Right
One saga demonstrates the difficulties developers face in getting infill projects permitted, even after reforms meant to encourage them. The City of Seattle permitting process for new housing is riddled with impediments that disproportionately challenge the small business owner seeking to acquire permits to build much needed smaller housing projects.
Another set of bills died Friday as another legislative cutoff passed, but a bill boosting Sound Transit funding options was not among them. Senate Bill 5528 authorizes “enhanced service zones” within the Sound Transit Taxing District to raise funds to speed up existing Sound Transit 3 (ST3) or deliver additional
In July, the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) released their draft three-pronged Regional Housing Strategy (RHS). The strategy is to be a collection of regional and local measures to preserve, improve, and expand the region’s housing inventory. It hopes to encourage fair and equal access to housing for the
Providing more housing options in single-family zones is a policy idea that state legislators have kicked around for years. This session, the Washington State Legislature finally passed a bill that had hoped to promote accessory dwelling unit (ADU) creation, such as backyard cottages and basement apartments. There’s just one
Bremerton is allowing an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on every single-family lot and waiving parking and owner-occupancy requirements. The City tabled a measure to allow two ADUs per lot. On December 16th, the Bremerton City Council unanimously voted to liberalize ADU rules in a bid to increase housing production and
Accessory dwelling unit (ADU) reform has been taking off across the Puget Sound region. Seattle, Tacoma, and Burien all approved sweeping changes to ADUs last year followed by Kirkland in March. Seattle also took a step further this week in launching a one-stop shop for property owners who are considering
On Tuesday, the City of Seattle rolled out a website called ADUniverse that will offer 10 pre-approved accessory dwelling unit (ADU) designs and other information to help homeowners navigate the process of adding a backyard cottage or mother-in-law apartment (or two) to their lot. “In addition to providing an easily
It has been nearly two years since Mayor Jenny Durkan directed the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections to fast-track pre-approved designs of backyard cottages. At the time of the announcement, the Mayor’s Office stated, “The City will hire architects to develop several standard architectural plans for backyard cottages
Last summer when the Seattle City Council passed legislation that encouraged development of backyard cottages across the city, the move was generally met with enthusiasm from housing advocates promoting increased housing choices in the city’s single family zones. Shortly thereafter, Mayor Jenny Durkan passed an executive order intended to
On Monday, the Seattle City Council unanimously (8-0 vote) adopted a land use reform bill, easing restrictions on building accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in single-family zones. The legislation is projected to promote development of another 2,460 new ADUs over a ten-year period. The changes brought forth by the legislation
The Seattle City Council voted 8-0 Monday to pass accessory dwelling unit (ADU) reform, making it much easier to add a backyard cottage and/or an attached in-law apartment in a single family lot. The bill included a single family home size limit– colloquially known as a McMansion ban–that
The first public hearing on Councilmember Mike O’Brien’s backyard cottage proposal is Tuesday June 11th, and housing activists under the umbrella group More Options for Accessory Residency (MOAR) are hosting a rally at City Hall at 5:15pm right before the hearing to turn people out. The policy