Mountlake Terrace Council adopts middle‑housing code amendments to comply with state law

The Mountlake Terrace City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to adopt a package of nine zoning ordinances that rewrite large portions of the city’s residential code to implement state middle‑housing requirements and the city’s recent comprehensive plan updates.

City and consultant staff told the council the amendments are intended to expand housing types, regulate scale and design, and offer incentives for public benefits such as affordable units and tree retention. "This is our third review of code requirements to our code language to meet legislative requirements for middle housing," said Christie, Community Economic Development Director. Heidi Oian, the consultant, said chapter 19.3 (residential districts) is the most consequential: "That's the place where all of the density is allowed to change."

The ordinance package includes a new chapter (19.3) with dimensional standards and bonuses, a new residential design chapter (19.32) with objective design criteria, consolidated definitions (19.15), a residential affordability incentives chapter (3.96) that implements…