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Sedro-Woolley debate centers on ‘shadow platting’ as a tool for gradual infill; staff and former city attorney warn about infrastructure costs
Summary
Planning staff recommended adding a ‘shadow platting’ tool to Sedro-Woolley’s code to allow staged subdivision that still meets the state’s 4-dwelling-units-per-acre density requirement; the council debated whether the approach would help homeowners or shift infrastructure costs to taxpayers.
Planning staff presented a proposal to add “shadow platting” to the Sedro-Woolley municipal code as a tool to allow gradual infill while meeting the state’s minimum-density expectations, and council members spent more than an hour debating benefits and risks.
Nicole (planning staff) told the council that staff convened public outreach and that 44 respondents to the housing strategies survey showed 74 percent support for shadow platting (she cautioned the sample was small). She described shadow platting as a way to “allow large lots to be subdivided below the standard density as long as the future development meets 4 units per acre,” enabling staged development that can make small-scale projects financially feasible for property owners.
Nicole said staff recommends moving forward and returning draft…
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