Council advances ADU code changes; removes owner-occupancy and sets 1,000 sq ft limit with local adjustments

The Puyallup City Council on June 3 approved first reading of amendments to Titles 11, 14, 20 and 201 of the Puyallup Municipal Code to implement the state ADU law (House Bill 1337). Council applied a safety-based exemption—matching a recent amendment to the middle-housing ordinance—before advancing the ordinance for a second reading.

Why it matters: House Bill 1337 (2023) requires cities to expand ADU allowances and remove certain local barriers. The city’s draft code translates those state requirements into local rules for lot size, unit quantity, setbacks, parking, and utility metering.

Planner Nabila Comstock briefed the council and summarized the main staff proposals and the Planning Commission’s recommendations. “The changes to our code are to be adopted no later than June thirtieth of this year,” Comstock said, “and there is no model or ordinance of ADUs for us to use. So if the code is not adopted by then, then we will apply the rules of the associated RCW.” Key elements presented by staff included:

- Quantity and size: Allow up to two ADUs on lots that meet the zone’s minimum lot area; allow a 1,000-square-foot maximum per ADU. - Ownership and occupancy: Remove owner-occupancy requirements; allow ADUs to be sold as condominium units; detached ADUs must have separate water service and a separate meter while attached ADUs may share meters. - Setbacks and fire safety: The Planning Commission recommended a 10-foot separation between detached ADUs and other dwelling units on the same parcel; staff met with Central Pierce Fire and supported the larger separation for fire-safety reasons. - Parking: ADUs within a half-mile walk of a major transit stop (the Sounder station) will not require off-street parking. For other lots, staff recommended one space per unit on lots under 6,000 square feet and up to two spaces per unit on larger lots; the Planning Commission recommended additional specificity by bedroom count.

Council members debated policy trade-offs and added two council-level changes during the meeting. Council member Johnson successfully moved that the same half-mile exemption to the volcanic-hazard restriction (the lahar-related exemption the council adopted earlier in the middle-housing discussion) be applied to ADU implementation; that amendment passed 5–2. Council then considered the Planning Commission’s suggested bedroom cap. After discussion the council set a three-bedroom maximum for ADUs on first reading (the Planning Commission had recommended retaining a two-bedroom maximum; staff had recommended removing a bedroom cap entirely).

The motion to advance the ADU ordinance on first reading passed 6–1. Staff told council it will incorporate any council-directed changes and return the ordinance for second reading and final adoption.

What was not changed tonight: staff noted the draft does not override Homeowners’ Association covenants; where an HOA contract prohibits ADUs, that private restriction remains enforceable unless homeowners revise it. Staff also said the interim lahar exemption does not automatically change other critical-area protections such as wetlands and stream buffers.

Next steps: staff will update ordinance language to reflect council amendments and return it for second reading. The city will also conduct follow-up work on impact fees, lot-coverage, and floor-area standards as requested by the Planning Commission.

Ending: Council members framed the package as a substantial expansion of owner options for housing and potential low-cost rental supply, while stressing the need for careful implementation and follow-up on emergency-evacuation planning in the lahar-prone valley.