Leavenworth Planning Commission Moves Forward on Draft ADU Rules; June 4 Hearing Proposed

Leavenworth — The Planning Commission on Wednesday reviewed a draft update to the city’s accessory dwelling unit (ADU) regulations and directed staff to prepare a public hearing for the draft at the commission’s next meeting in June.

Maggie, a planning staff member who drafted the ordinance language and incorporated comments from the Washington State Department of Commerce, walked commissioners through two alternative approaches for lot coverage and several state-law compliance items. “I added the state law, the RCW, in the packet,” she said, and noted technical clarifications needed for impact fees, height limits and the definition of existing structures.

Why this matters: ADU rules are one of the city’s most immediate tools for increasing modest housing supply; small code changes can make it easier for property owners to add units and for housing to remain in the year-round rental market rather than convert to short-term rentals.

Key points from the ADU discussion

- State compliance and impact fees: staff noted that state law (RCW) requires local ADU rules to meet certain standards. Maggie told the commission that state guidance limits impact fees tied to ADUs: impact fees should not exceed 50% of the principal unit’s fees when a second hookup is required for an ADU larger than 900 square feet. Staff recommended explicit code language to codify that cap. - Height and existing-structure language: staff proposed making the city’s 30-foot height limit explicit in the ADU code so it meets the state minimum (staff noted the statute requires a minimum taller than 24 feet). The draft was revised to permit ADUs converted from existing structures without requiring those structures to be separately “legally established” in the code language. - Lot coverage and a simple percentage approach: staff offered two options for additional lot coverage to accommodate ADUs. Commissioners favored a simpler approach staff proposed at the meeting — a flat percentage increase in lot coverage for each ADU (for example, an additional 5% of lot area per ADU), rather than a multi-tier formula keyed to multiple lot-size brackets. Commissioner Drew said small lots might get little practical benefit from a single-percentage rule, but staff and others agreed that a simple percent approach is easier to administer and enforce. - Parking and fee-in-lieu ideas: the draft clarifies that when a single-family residence proposes two ADUs, the residence would require only one additional off-street parking space (not two per ADU), to avoid requiring three or more spaces on small lots. Staff also proposed a fee-in-lieu approach for downtown commercial areas that lack on-site parking, and commissioners asked for examples and cost estimates of similar programs elsewhere. - Major-transit-stop language: Commerce suggested language referencing major transit stops; staff said Leavenworth does not currently have a designated major-transit-stop on state maps but left the clause in place for future compliance.

Commission direction and timeline

Commissioners agreed to move the draft to a public hearing in June (staff proposed June 4) and asked staff to provide:

- Simplified language applying a percentage lot-coverage increase per ADU, with a few real-world site-plan examples showing how the increase would affect typical small, medium and larger lots; and - Examples from other jurisdictions of fee‑in‑lieu parking programs and cost-estimate methods so the commission can consider appropriate fee levels.

Maggie told the commission she would prepare a staff report, example scenarios and the redlined code for the hearing and requested written comments from commissioners within the next week.

Ending

The commission did not adopt a code change at the meeting. Commissioners instructed staff to finalize a hearing packet and schedule a public hearing in June; the commission will take public testimony and consider formal action after that hearing.