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Oak Harbor council unanimously approves revisions to design regulations to align single‑family standards with 'missing middle' law
Summary
The City Council approved Resolution 25-07 to add single‑family design standards, narrow‑lot guidance and pedestrian‑oriented elements after planning staff said the changes are needed to comply with House Bill 1110 and to reinstate neighborhood design review options removed after a 2022 lot‑size change.
The Oak Harbor City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved Resolution 25‑07, revising the city's Design Regulations and Guidelines to add single‑family design standards, narrow‑lot guidance and pedestrian‑oriented requirements.
Senior planner Ray Lindenberg told the council the revisions are intended to bring single‑family standards into line with multifamily standards and to comply with recent state law. “As you may know, we went through a process back in 2022 to reduce our minimum lot sizes,” Lindenberg said, and the new standards will allow the city to review design criteria for single‑family homes.
The resolution reorganizes the DRG, creates a full residential design section (Section 5) that includes single‑family standards, and adds guidance for narrow lots and pedestrian‑oriented facades. Lindenberg said the changes also reference reduced front yard setbacks adopted under Ordinance 19‑53 that allow porches and living space to be sited as close as 10 feet from the front property line when a 20‑foot driveway length is maintained for the garage.
Nut graf: City staff said the update responds to two pressures: the 2022 lot‑size reductions that removed some avenues for aesthetic review and the requirements of House Bill 1110, which limits design standards for middle‑housing if single‑family regulations are more permissive. The council approved the change after the Planning Commission forwarded a positive recommendation.
Council discussion was brief. Councilor Marshall moved approval; Councilor Wiggenstein seconded. Mayor Pro Tem called for a voice or raised‑hand vote and announced the motion passed unanimously. The roll call earlier in the meeting showed Councilors Stuckey, Marshall, Wiggenstein, Armes and Marrow present; Councilor Wiesner was excused.
Councilors and planning staff emphasized that the revisions are not intended to mandate architectural styles but to establish basic standards that promote neighborhood context, pedestrian orientation and reduced visual emphasis on parked vehicles. Lindenberg said the DRG will include narrow‑lot design criteria formerly distributed as an informal handout to help builders use reduced setbacks without compromising neighborhood character.
The council did not attach new funding or implementation deadlines to the resolution; staff will incorporate the revised text into the DRG as directed. The Planning Commission’s positive recommendation and the council’s unanimous approval mean the design guidelines changes will be adopted as described in Resolution 25‑07.
Ending: The council approved the agenda and consent items earlier in the meeting and expects the DRG changes to be reflected in the city’s published design guidelines and permitting guidance; staff did not specify a publication date during the discussion.
