Edmonds planning board narrows walkable-overlay, votes rules on ADUs and unit limits

The Edmonds Planning Board on a special meeting night voted to continue development of a ‘‘walkable’’ Low-Density Residential Walkable (LDRW) overlay for middle housing, but narrowed the approach and set specific limits on heights and accessory dwelling units.

The board voted 4-2 to continue drafting the LDRW overlay but restricted the concept to carefully selected arterial locations and limited vertical scale to 25 feet flat or 30 feet with a pitched roof as an interim maximum for further study. The board also adopted two other measures: ADUs will be permitted only on single-family homes and will count toward the lot’s unit limit, and ADUs’ maximum height will remain 24 feet. Separately, the board endorsed state-mandated middle-housing density structure—generally two units per lot with the option to allow up to four units on a lot if one unit is restricted as affordable.

Why it matters: the LDRW overlay would create locations where townhomes, courtyard apartments or other street-oriented forms could be allowed near hubs and centers; height limits and ADU rules determine how that new housing could look and how many homes a property can carry. The board’s changes narrow where taller or denser residential forms would be allowed and attempt to protect lower-scale neighborhoods while still meeting state middle-housing requirements.

Board debate and rationale Brad (planning staff) described the overlay as an ‘‘intent’’ to locate building types that do not belong everywhere and to allow townhomes or stacked dwellings in limited places within walking distance of hubs and centers. He told the board, “the purpose of this exercise … is just to facilitate that discussion,” and said staff had provided options on whether ADUs count toward unit density and on lot-size categories to simplify the zoning map.

Supporters said the overlay could create a consistent streetscape and a targeted transition between hubs and lower-density residential areas. Planning board member Lauren said the overlay made sense ‘‘on arterials within a certain distance from a hub and center’’ and proposed focusing the overlay on a short list of larger centers rather than stretching it citywide. Several board members and residents urged the group to limit height increases and to be explicit about where a taller building could go.

Opponents expressed concern about scale and neighborhood impacts. Multiple speakers — including several planning board members and residents — said they did not want to see three-story (35-foot) buildings introduced in existing residential streets outside hubs and centers. One resident described the effect of taller buildings as making older neighborhoods feel ‘‘empty’’ and urged strong geographic limits.

Decisions and votes - Continue development of the LDRW overlay, limited to arterial locations and to specific hub/center areas; maximum building height to be 25 feet (flat) with an option for 30 feet when a pitched roof is used. Motion passed 4-2. - ADUs limited to single-family homes and counted toward the lot’s unit limit. Motion passed unanimously. - ADU maximum height retained at 24 feet. Motion passed unanimously. - The board endorsed the state’s middle-housing structure as framed in the draft: lots are allowed up to two units as the baseline and up to four units if one unit is provided as affordable. The board approved a motion endorsing “2 units per lot; up to 4 where 1 is affordable.” Motion passed (voice vote).

How the rules will work in practice Brad explained that the overlay discussion is intended to let the board designate where townhomes or courtyard apartments would be appropriate and to use the existing zoning base lines to build the overlay map. He emphasized that the overlay is not yet regulatory and will be refined with maps, street-type crosschecks and explicit parcel lists. The board directed staff to draft the overlay so it could be limited to selected arterial corridors and specific hub-and-center footprints rather than applied broadly across half-mile radii that would expand the coverage area substantially.

ADUs and unit-count clarifications Board members spent considerable time on whether ADUs (attached or detached accessory dwelling units) should count toward a lot’s middle-housing unit total. The board concluded that ADUs will count toward the parent lot’s unit total and that ADUs will be permitted only when the parent building is a single-family dwelling (detached single-family or a townhouse counted as single-family under state law). Staff said that counting ADUs toward density reduces opportunities to add ADUs on top of newly created multiunit developments and helps prevent stepwise increases in density via repeated subdivisions.

Next steps Staff will prepare refined maps and a revised draft for the public hearing scheduled next week, and will return with language that limits where the LDRW overlay would apply. The board asked staff to provide parcel‑level suggestions for candidate corridors and to examine hub-and-center heights so that an overlay recommendation to City Council can specify exact blocks or parcels.

Note: the board’s decisions at this meeting are advisory; City Council must approve any code changes. The staff presentation and motion language were brought forward as discussion items rather than final ordinance text. The board deferred final regulatory language and exact map boundaries for a future meeting and a public hearing.