Kristen Leeson, principal planner for the Community Planning and Development Department, told the Planning Policy Commission on May 8 that the city is proposing several Title 18 policy amendments, the most substantive of which would let multifamily developers combine unit-level private amenity requirements with common amenity space so long as at least half the units retain private amenity areas.

The change would not reduce the total amount of amenity space the code requires, Leeson said: "what we're proposing is not to change the amount of open space and amenity space that's required, but to allow developers to combine ... as long as 50% of the units still have that private amenity space." Under current standards discussed at the meeting, Issaquah requires 100 square feet of common amenity space per unit plus 48 square feet of private open space per unit, a combined 148 square feet per unit that the proposal would allow to be consolidated for some units.

Commissioners and staff framed the amendment as a flexibility tool aimed at improving feasibility for new multifamily and middle-housing development. Leeson said developers reported design and economic challenges in providing private balconies for every unit. She described the proposed deviation as an administrative step in the permit review rather than a formal variance process: "Deviation is administrative ... it isn't a separate thing that they have to apply for a variance." She also said the 50% threshold is open for feedback.

Commissioners raised trade-offs and community goals. Commissioner Kress probed whether tree-preservation rules would take priority over parking when conflicts arise; Leeson answered simply, "Yes." Commissioner Zacrow questioned whether on-site common amenity requirements duplicate nearby parks or trails and urged careful consideration of how required on-site spaces fit with public amenities. Commissioner Moll and Commissioner Adair emphasized that on-site common spaces can support neighborhood livability, saying such spaces help children and create gathering places.

Staff noted the proposal applies to multifamily development (defined in the discussion as six units or more) and that alternatives such as rooftop decks, ground-floor patios, and stacked open spaces are already permitted to count toward private or common open space. Leeson also said the draft package contains several other changes: clarifying omitted permitted uses from the 2023 Title 18 update, adjustments to permit term/expiration language to allow extensions for land-use permits pending construction permits (noting the city attorney will refine that language), and a state-mandated tree-retention exemption that can allow reduced parking where tree preservation conflicts with required parking for middle or multifamily housing.

On implementation steps, Leeson told commissioners that the public hearing on these policy amendments is scheduled for May 22; the packet will include the public-hearing edition with remaining footnotes and parking/long-term bicycle parking corrections. The item is tentatively scheduled to go to the Planning, Development and Environment Committee on June 10 and to the City Council for final action on July 7.

Discussion points: commissioners asked for additional specifics about projects that have struggled to meet the current standards; staff said they will provide more project-level detail where available for the public hearing. Commissioners also suggested the Planning Policy Commission could propose alternate thresholds (for example fewer than 50% private units or a menu of compliance options) at the public hearing. No formal action was taken at the May 8 meeting; staff were directed to bring the public-hearing materials back on May 22.

The packet also flagged forthcoming tree-code revisions; staff said the tree-code public hearing will be held concurrently with the Title 18 policy amendments. The commission approved the April 24 minutes earlier in the meeting.