Kenmore planners review draft middle‑housing code and map; commissioners raise setbacks, impervious surface, parking and impact‑fee questions

The Kenmore Planning Commission continued its middle‑housing review Feb. 18, focusing on a draft code and a city map that would exempt some single‑family parcels from the city’s middle‑housing requirements.

Consultant Nick Chen (Kimberly Horne) told the commission the draft code had reached a “phase 1/phase 2” stage and that staff would finish customizing it for Kenmore. He flagged a mapping error and a policy choice: the draft’s “alternative to density” map initially omitted some R‑1 parcels north of State Route 522 that should be included. Chen said the parcels identified on the map currently total about 18% of the single‑family parcels; keeping the exempted area below 25% avoids a Commerce certification requirement for the alternative approach.

Why it matters: the alternative‑to‑density map determines which R‑1 parcels would keep current single‑family rules and which would be required to allow middle‑housing types (duplexes through fourplexes, cottage housing, etc.). Commissioners stressed the need to overlay critical areas and wetlands so the map…