Planning Commission outlines local approach to new state middle‑housing and ADU laws; supports unit‑density and flexible ADU treatment

The Edgewood Planning Commission devoted a large portion of its Feb. 10 agenda to implementing recent state laws on “middle housing” and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Staff presented draft code changes and a public survey and the commission provided policy direction on several key choices the city must make before the state compliance deadline.

What staff said: planning staff summarized three state bills that will affect local code: the middle‑housing statute (referred to in the packet as House Bill 1110), a separate design‑review statute (House Bill 1293) requiring clear, objective design standards for certain housing, and the ADU statute (House Bill 1337). Staff also noted the city is a Tier‑3 jurisdiction under the state rules (Edgewood’s population characteristics require a minimum local accommodation of two middle‑housing units per qualifying lot). Staff made the city’s schedule clear: code changes must be adopted by June 30, 2025, to meet the statutes’ deadlines.

Key policy directions from the commission

- Unit density: commissioners supported replacing the city’s current “density per acre” metric with an explicit “unit density” approach for the single‑family and mixed‑residential zones that the statute affects. Staff said this approach aligns with the state guidance and reduces confusion about how middle‑housing units are counted at subdivision and permitting.

- Types of middle housing to require locally: the commission supported limiting the city’s required middle‑housing types to two‑unit forms…