Issaquah committee backs moving Title 18 policy amendments to full council

The Issaquah Planning, Development and Environment Committee recommended sending a package of technical, state-required and policy changes to the city's Title 18 zoning code to the full City Council for action on June 23.

Acting Planning Manager Kristen Leeson told the committee the 2025 amendments are a mix of minor clarifications, changes required by state law and staff-identified policy fixes after the city's 580-page Title 18 overhaul. "We recommend moving it forward to June 23 as presented," Leeson said.

Why it matters: The amendments aim to correct drafting errors from the comprehensive update, bring Issaquah into compliance with recent state rules (including provisions affecting conversions, parking and co-living), and add local policy refinements on topics such as amenity space, heat-pump noise limits and small-scale urban agriculture (roosters, chickens and beekeeping). Several council members said the package addresses clear problems, but some urged additional community discussion on policy items that could affect housing cost or design.

Key changes discussed include: clarifying that adult family homes and daycare providers are not subject to the home-occupation permit requirement and creating a dedicated code section for daycare (Issaquah Code 18.0.522); exempting legislative amendments from the 500-foot notice requirement used for land-use applications; clarifying that land-use permit time limits apply to subsequent building permits; and restoring several permitted uses and omitted footnotes in the permitted-uses table so the update matches prior intent.

State-required modifications described by staff include allowing conversion of commercial or mixed-use buildings to multifamily within an existing structure (with limitations on requiring additional parking, concurrency, density and design requirements), updates to residential parking and electric-vehicle (EV) infrastructure consistent with Washington Administrative Code changes, and adding a co-living definition and related parking exemptions mentioned by staff. Leeson said one example: zones that allow 14 units per acre can permit up to 50% more units under conversion rules, effectively enabling about 21 units per acre in qualifying conversions.

On amenity space, staff recounted the city's adopted requirement that each multifamily unit have the equivalent of 148 square feet of amenity space (100 square feet of common space plus 48 square feet of private outdoor space per unit). The proposed amendment would allow developers to combine the 148 square feet into common indoor or outdoor spaces provided that at least 50% of units still have 48 square feet of attached private outdoor space. Leeson said the 148-square-foot metric came from the Title 18 update and the planning process that followed.

Committee members and staff debated whether the change should be a code amendment or a deviation process. Council President Walsh said the committee had heard strongly from developers that certain design standards were increasing costs, but also from residents who value private outdoor space. "I really do think the open space adjustment doesn't go far enough," Walsh said, calling for clearer objectives about which problem the council wants to solve.

On heat pumps and mechanical equipment, staff said current decibel limits had been set for more rural conditions and were difficult to meet in Issaquah's urban context. Planner Mini Dhaliwal noted "the measurement of decibel levels is is complex" and explained that applicants must provide equipment specifications with permit applications; the city owns one noise meter and would hire an acoustical engineer if complaints required technical verification. Staff also referenced Institute of Heating and Refrigeration standards when explaining acceptable measurement approaches.

The committee heard that the prior decision to adopt King County animal rules proved too rural for Issaquah's conditions; staff proposed reintroducing local limits on rooster age, minimum lot sizes for roosters, distances of shelters from property lines and clarifying nuisance definitions to improve enforceability for backyard fowl and beekeeping.

Next steps and context: Leeson recommended forwarding the package to the June 23 City Council meeting for final action. Several council members supported moving the amendments forward while asking staff to return with more community discussion on broader policy questions such as step-back design rules and the amenity-space standard. City Administrator Bob Coates and staff noted limited planning staffing and suggested that if the council wants a larger public process the administration would present a timeline and trade-offs.

The committee unanimously approved the meeting minutes from Nov. 6, 2024, and May 6, 2025, by unanimous consent earlier in the session. If the full Council follows the committee recommendation, the Title 18 changes would be considered by the full City Council on June 23.