Issaquah committee reviews middle-housing draft regulations; residents warn of parking, stormwater and tree loss

The City of Issaquah Planning, Development and Environment Committee on April 1 reviewed draft middle‑housing regulations intended to implement state law and expand housing options in single‑family zones.

Associate Planner Valerie Porter, of the Community Planning and Development department, told the committee the amendments are intended to comply with House Bill 11 10 (middle housing) and House Bill 13 37 (accessory dwelling units) and to allow middle‑housing types to “fit seamlessly within existing neighborhoods.”

The city’s proposal would change lot density rules to allow two dwelling units per residential lot as a baseline, and permit up to four units on a lot if one unit is designated as affordable or the lot lies within a quarter‑mile walking distance of a major transit stop, as defined in the state law. Porter said Planning Policy Commission (PPC) discussion yielded mixed guidance: PPC recommended setting an administrative unit limit at four units, but ultimately recommended keeping lot density at two units per lot while allowing conditional four‑unit projects.

Why this matters: state law requires municipalities to allow more housing types in single‑family zones and constrains local review processes; Issaquah staff and commissioners said the changes will affect older neighborhoods such as Old Town, Squak and Sycamore and that implementation choices (parking, frontage improvements, design standards) will shape local…