Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parking Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Staff previews parking-code changes tied to recent state laws; public hearing set for June
Summary
City planners introduced draft parking-code updates meant to implement recent state bills affecting ADU parking near transit, parking minimums for affordable/senior multi-family housing, and technical parking-lot standards; staff warned pending statewide legislation could further limit local parking requirements.
Planning staff briefed the council on proposed updates to Edmonds’ parking code on May 6, noting several state laws already in force and additional legislation pending on the Governor’s desk.
Staff said the draft implements recent state changes that affect accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and multifamily housing. House Bill 1337 increased the distance threshold for ADU parking exemptions near a major transit stop to 0.5 mile (from 0.25 mile), and House Bill 2343 limits parking for affordable and senior multifamily housing near transit based on service frequency. The draft also tracks technical requirements from Senate Bill 6015 (2024) that affect whether non‑paved surfaces, grass‑block or tandem stalls can count toward minimums and whether some dimensional standards are allowed in local engineering code chapter 18.95.
Staff told council the proposed changes are primarily codifications of state law into Edmonds’ code and that a public hearing will be scheduled for June 24 to take testimony and finalize local implementing language, including updates to the engineering code for parking-lot construction standards.
Planners warned a pending bill on the Governor’s desk could impose further limits: examples staff cited included statutory caps that would prevent a city from requiring more than 0.5 parking spaces per multifamily unit or more than 1 space per single-family home; the bill’s final text and the Governor’s action could require more substantive code changes and a later, separate update.
Council members and staff discussed concerns about location-specific impacts — for example, Edmonds’ street and cul-de-sac patterns and tourist-event parking spikes — and the need to consider local studies where off-street parking minima might be impractical. Staff said a fuller set of proposed amendments and engineering updates would be brought back for Planning Board review and a June public hearing.
