Lake Forest Park holds public hearing on middle-housing and ADU code changes ahead of state deadline

Lake Forest Park City Council opened a public hearing Thursday on two related ordinance amendments that would change the city’s subdivision and land-use code to allow "middle housing" types and required accessory dwelling units.

The hearing introduced Ordinance 25-13-09, amending Chapter 17 (subdivisions) to allow unit-lot and 0-lot-line subdivisions, and Ordinance 25-13-10, amending Chapter 18 (planning and land-use) to implement middle housing and the state requirement to allow two units per lot or comparable unit density. City staff said the code changes are aimed at meeting state-mandated timelines; action is anticipated at the council’s June 26 meeting.

Zoe Tapert, a planner with SCJ Alliance who assisted the city’s planning commission, told the council that the 2023 Washington Legislature passed middle-housing laws and follow-up legislation that require some cities to allow additional housing types. Tapert said, "what is meant by middle housing is essentially a bridge between single family houses and then mid rise apartments," and outlined the specific housing types the city must permit (duplexes, courtyard apartments, cottage housing and stacked flats) and the ADU requirements the state has…