Kenmore planning panel forwards middle-housing and inclusionary zoning package to council after heated public hearing

The Kenmore Planning Commission voted 4-3 on April 15 to forward a package of code amendments to City Council that would implement the state'mandated middle-housing and accessory dwelling unit changes and add a new inclusionary zoning requirement for some new projects.

The recommendation, reached after a staff presentation, consultant analysis and more than an hour of public testimony and commissioner debate, would: adopt Kenmore-specific rules to meet House Bill 1110 (middle housing) and House Bill 1337 (accessory dwelling units); allow six middle-housing types in primarily single-family zones (duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhouses, stacked flats and courtyard apartments, plus cottage housing as configured in the draft); set a unit-density standard (typically two units per lot, with up to four units where qualifying transit or affordability provisions apply); and create an inclusionary zoning requirement that generally requires 10% of new units in projects of four or more units to be affordable (owner-occupied units at 80% area median income and rentals targeted at 50% AMI) or, for many smaller projects, a fee in lieu.

Why it matters: Washington state law requires local codes to allow a broader range of housing types and, if cities increase allowable density, gives them the option to capture some of the value created to fund affordable housing. Kenmore must adopt local rules by June 30 or the state model ordinance will take effect. The commission'level recommendation sends the locally tailored package to City Council for final action.

Staff and consultant presentations

City planning staff and ARCH consultants framed the recommendations as Kenmore'specific implementations of HB 1110 and HB 1337. Planner Nick Chan summarized the key choices: the commission selected the Tier 2 middle-housing option, allowing six of the nine model housing types and establishing unit-lot subdivision rules and a unit-density standard. He also explained…