Planning staff previews required code amendments tied to comprehensive plan: middle housing, ADUs, emergency housing and more

Planning Manager Katie Baker delivered a lengthy overview April 1 of code amendments Puyallup will consider this year to implement state law changes and the city’s periodic comprehensive-plan update.

Key items Baker described: - Middle housing (House Bill 1110): State law requires that zones allowing single-family housing also allow middle housing types (duplexes, triplexes, cottage housing, townhomes). Puyallup must allow at least two units per development lot in affected zones. There is a June 30 adoption deadline for interim measures; staff proposed an interim zoning ordinance to meet the timeline while permanent code language is developed with the Planning Commission. - Accessory dwelling units (House Bill 1337): The state requires up to two ADUs per lot in zones that allow single-family housing, with maximum sizes up to 1,000 square feet; owner-occupancy requirements must be removed and parking rules modified. The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing; council may see ADU amendments in June. - Emergency housing / STEP (Department of Commerce): The city must demonstrate capacity for 458 beds under state requirements, but current siting standards (buffers, spacing, occupancy limits) allow only about 150 beds. Staff will present options to adjust siting standards to meet the required capacity while attempting to retain appropriate protections for sensitive uses. - Clear-and-objective design standards: State rules require clear, objective design standards. Puyallup’s existing design regulations are in multiple chapters and a downtown design guidelines document; staff will modernize these to meet the requirement and consider shifting more projects to administrative review while retaining board review for larger or innovative projects. - Unit lot subdivision and ownership options: Staff will add a unit-lot subdivision process to the short-plat chapter, enabling sale of individual townhouse or similar units that share walls (duplexes, triplexes, townhomes). This process can also be applied to existing eligible developments to allow individual ownership. - Co-living: State law requires allowing co-living in multifamily zones; examples include small private rooms with shared kitchens and common areas. Baker noted both potential benefits (affordability, congregate living models used for veterans) and member concerns about neighborhood impacts and density. - Conversion of commercial/mixed-use buildings to housing: Staff will ensure code allows conversion of existing building footprints to residential uses in relevant zones, with state-specified limits on parking and density. - Parking, transit exception and tandem parking: Changes limit how much parking a city can require near high-quality transit; staff noted the quarter-mile walk shed around the Sounder station and that low parking minimums apply particularly to affordable and specialized units. The state also requires allowance of tandem spaces and prohibits some parking configuration requirements. - Impact fees: Transportation, parks and school impact fees will be updated; transportation impact fees have not been updated since 2007. State law requires impact fees be proportionately lower for smaller housing units. - Permitting timelines (Senate Bill 5290): The city must meet new review timelines and provide annual performance reports. Puyallup adopted three measures earlier this year (making pre-application meetings optional, on-call review staff for high-volume periods, and offer-of-meeting after second correction letters) to help meet timelines. - Zoning map consistency: After comp-plan adoption the city will update zone maps and chapters to reflect new land-use designations, consolidating some single-family zones and adjusting mixed-use and business-park designations.

Council questions focused on specifics and implementation: Council member Johnson asked about removing owner-occupancy for ADUs (Baker confirmed state law preempts local owner-occupancy requirements); several members pressed on co-living and parking — Deputy Mayor King asked about utility capacity and long-term community impacts, and Baker said the legislation assumes one co-living room equals 0.25 of a dwelling unit for utility and density calculations. Council member Gilliam and others recommended more public outreach and careful study, especially on co-living and emergency housing siting.

Timing and next steps: Baker said the city will likely bring the ADU amendment as an early package to meet the June 30 deadline; other amendments will follow through the rest of the year, with a goal of completing required updates by the end of 2025. City staff will coordinate with the Planning Commission and return to council with drafts and public hearings.