Planning Commission hears unit‑lot subdivision code amendments required by state law; directs staff to prepare findings
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
The commission held a public hearing on code changes to add unit‑lot subdivision provisions (required by ESSB 5258), discussed utility and lot‑size consequences, and voted unanimously to direct staff to draft findings recommending council adoption.
Monroe City staff presented draft code amendments to allow unit‑lot subdivisions, a form of land division that enables fee‑simple ownership of individual housing units within a parent lot. The Planning Commission closed the hearing and directed staff to draft findings recommending Council approval.
Anita explained the change responds to 2023 state legislation (ESSB 5258), which requires cities to include unit‑lot subdivision provisions in their subdivision regulations. Unit‑lot subdivisions (ULS) create smaller "unit lots" that may not meet all dimensional standards of the underlying zone while the overall development (the parent lot) conforms to zoning standards. The local code changes add a ULS section to Chapter 22.68 (Subdivisions), amend definitions in Chapter 22.12, and revise permit‑processing language in Chapter 22.84 to treat ULS similar to short plats.
Discussion among commissioners and staff focused on utility connections and infrastructure: city staff said ULS lots record as individual lots and generally require individual utility connections; commissioners raised concerns about how shared meters or sewer configurations could affect affordability and feasibility. Staff said engineering standards currently require separate connections for recorded individual lots, but the department will consult engineering to explore approaches (easements, frontage improvements) that might ease utility constraints on small lots.
No public comments were received on the draft. After closing the citizen portion of the hearing, the commission unanimously approved a motion directing staff to draft findings of fact and conclusions of law recommending council adoption of the code amendments required by ESSB 5258.
If adopted by council, the amendments will give developers a local process to create unit‑lot subdivisions; staff noted the process will follow the short‑plat model (preliminary review, construction, final recordation) and that ULS provisions must be in place by state deadlines.