Kenmore holds public hearing on middle-housing zoning, ADU changes and 10% inclusionary proposal; councilasked for clarifications

Kenmore staff told the City Council on Monday they are proposing amendments to allow middle housing types in single-family zones, update accessory-dwelling-unit rules and add an inclusionary-housing requirement for the R4 and R6 zones, and then opened a public hearing on the package.

Todd Hall, Kenmore principal planner, said the 2023 Washington law requires cities to allow middle housing and that Kenmore chose to plan to meet tier-2 standards because its population is near the 25,000 threshold. Hall and consultants from Kimberly Horne and ARCH outlined proposed changes affecting duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhouses, stacked flats, cottage housing and ADUs; the presentation also described a proposed 10% inclusionary requirement for projects in R4 and R6 zones, with affordability set at 80% AMI for ownership units and 50% AMI for rentals.

Why this matters: the state’s middle-housing law requires local implementation; Kenmore’s choices—density calculations, unit-size exemptions and whether to apply inclusionary requirements—will affect how many new units appear where, which households can afford them, and the city’s compliance with the June 30 state deadline.

Staff presentation and key elements

- Middle-housing types proposed: duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhouses, stacked flats and cottage housing; staff noted Planning Commission recommended inclusion of fourplexes and excluded five- and six‑plex prototypes. - Unit-density approach: a baseline of 2 units per lot with allowances for 4 units per lot near major transit corridors (e.g., the 522 corridor) or for projects that provide an affordable unit. - ADU rules summarized (House Bill 1337): allow up to two ADUs on a single-family lot; remove owner-occupancy requirement; cities…