Mountlake Terrace planning commission reviews draft middle‑housing zoning and design standards

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash. — The Mountlake Terrace Planning Commission on May 12 reviewed a substantially revised draft of the city’s middle‑housing zoning and design standards and asked staff to return with refinements before a public hearing next month.

The draft — presented by city planning staff and consultants — bundles changes on scale controls (FAR and lot coverage), bonuses for sustainability and connectivity, new rules for mid‑block connections and alleys, updated parking rules in response to state legislation, and more-detailed facade modulation and articulation standards.

Why it matters: The package is intended to implement recent state housing laws and the city’s comprehensive plan by allowing new middle‑housing types (duplexes, triplexes, cottage and courtyard housing, carriage houses and similar forms) while shaping building scale, design quality and neighborhood connectivity. Commissioners and staff framed the update as a pilot that must balance affordability, buildability and neighborhood character as development begins to follow the new rules.

Staff presentation and scope

A city staff member opened the session saying, “we're back to talk more about the middle housing planning code update” and framed tonight’s purpose as seeking planning‑commission guidance on a packet of draft standards. Staff summarized outreach with developers and brokers that informed the changes and described the draft’s main components: bonuses and flexibilities (including sustainability incentives and photovoltaic exceptions to height limits), updated residential scale rules (FAR and lot coverage), parking standards, and design standards for mid‑block connections, alleys and improved parking courts.

Key proposals and how they would work

- Bonuses and sustainability: The draft would offer area/FAR bonuses for buildings pursuing listed sustainability rating systems and would allow photovoltaic arrays to exceed height limits as an exception. Staff removed a separate bonus for thicker insulation within setbacks after noting a new state law requires that allowance.

- Mid‑block connections and alleys: Staff proposed a pedestrian path 8 feet wide within a 16‑foot easement for mid‑block connections and a 16‑foot half‑alley dedication option (reduced from prior 20‑foot widths to encourage participation). Staff noted mid‑block connections are typically recorded as private easements with required public…