Mountlake Terrace planning commission recommends wide-ranging middle-housing code update

The Mountlake Terrace Planning Commission on May 27 recommended that the City Council adopt a package of ordinances to implement middle-housing zoning, design standards and related parking and affordability rules, saying the changes will go to a council hearing on June 26.

The commission's motion — approved with no recorded opposing votes — would repeal and replace portions of the Mountlake Terrace Municipal Code (MTMC) and add a new MTMC chapter on middle-housing affordability. Commissioners attached several technical modifications before forwarding the package to council, including a driveway-width clarification (a 12-foot minimum at the curb cut and a 20-foot maximum per 60 feet of linear lot frontage), a requirement that applicants identify the housing form type on permit applications, a clarification that accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are allowed per lot, a side-yard minimum of no less than 3 feet, and a requirement that mid-block pedestrian/vehicle connections need not be grade-separated but must use different paving to emphasize pedestrian use.

Why it matters: The package implements state middle-housing laws and sets new local rules on scale and design for single-family and multifamily development in Mountlake Terrace, including how the city will allow bonuses for affordable units, tree retention, mid-block connections and other public benefits. The changes affect how many units can be built on typical Mountlake Terrace lots, what those buildings can look like, and when parking or ADUs must be provided.

Key provisions and deliberations

- Scale controls and bonuses: The draft code relies on floor-area-ratio (FAR) as the primary scale control, with by-right FAR tiers and higher FAR available through bonuses. Officials described example FARs presented in the hearing: 0.5 FAR for a single-family house, 0.6…