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Ellensburg takes first-step changes to comply with state ADU law, eases frontage and impact-fee requirements
Summary
On first reading the council approved ordinance 4971 to align city code with House Bill 1337 by exempting ADUs from frontage (curb/gutter/sidewalk) improvement requirements and charging ADUs 50% of single-family traffic impact fees; council emphasized need to monitor cumulative infrastructure impacts.
The Ellensburg City Council on Sept. 2 took first reading of Ordinance 4971 to amend city codes for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to comply with Washington’s House Bill 1337. The proposed ordinance would exempt ADU building permits from curb, gutter, and sidewalk frontage improvement requirements when those would otherwise be required, and it would set traffic impact fees for ADUs at 50% of the single‑family rate.
A program manager told council the changes are required by state law and that the city must be in compliance before 2026; the amendment follows earlier land-development code changes (Ordinance 4953, Jan. 2025) that allowed two ADUs per lot with a primary dwelling. Staff said the exemption applies to ADU permit applications; if a separate new development or renovation increases value to a level that triggers frontage improvements, the city could still require those improvements under the code.
Councilmembers discussed the trade-offs: one member said the revenue loss from lowered impact fees is “minuscule” but warned the city will “have to make that up somewhere else down the line,” while others urged the city to adopt the changes now to provide predictability for prospective ADU developers. Staff noted that the pool of ADU projects is currently small and that impacts to curb/sidewalk demand would likely be limited in the near term. The motion to conduct first reading was moved, seconded, and approved.
Why it matters: HB 1337 requires jurisdictions to reduce barriers for ADU construction; the changes are intended to encourage ADUs as part of a local housing strategy while recognizing the city may need to monitor near‑term impacts on infrastructure and adjust funding or capital plans accordingly.
Next steps: staff will bring the ordinance back for a second reading and adoption; council directed continued monitoring of traffic‑impact fee revenue and infrastructure needs as ADUs are constructed.
