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Planning Commission outlines comprehensive-plan edits, housing code changes including mandatory coliving provision
Summary
The Planning Commission updated council on comprehensive-plan work focused on housing: mandatory coliving code to meet state requirements, ADU issues, and options to convert commercial buildings to housing were highlighted.
Jody, representing the Planning Commission, told the council the commission is concentrating on housing elements of the comprehensive plan and code changes required by recent state law.
“Everything in green is recommended. Everything in red is mandatory,” Jody said as a visual summary of proposed code edits. She said the commission is prioritizing housing types — single-family, multifamily and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) — and noted state law now requires the city to allow certain forms of coliving.
Jody described coliving as an arrangement in which individuals have a lockable private bedroom and share kitchens, bathrooms and common areas. “Coliving is a code that we did not have, but we are required to have,” she said, and added the city must implement the code by the end of the year rather than in 2026.
The commission also flagged ADU costs as a barrier, noting that existing requirements can make ADUs expensive because they must have separate sewer and water lines and utility connections. Jody said the commission is exploring options to ease conversions and is also examining how to permit the conversion of existing industrial or commercial buildings into housing.
Commissioners told council they are meeting twice monthly given the workload and are producing a “story map” to document Liberty Lake’s historical context as part of planning decisions.
No formal action was taken; the commission will return drafts and ordinance language as the code changes are refined.
