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Council discusses allowing tiny homes, clarifies manufactured‑home standards
Summary
Planning staff presented code amendments to ease barriers for manufactured homes and to add clarity for tiny homes and tiny‑home parks; building official explained how HUD, L&I and IRC jurisdiction differs by chassis and permanent foundation.
City staff and the planning commission presented draft changes on Feb. 11 to Leavenworth’s residential code to clarify standards for manufactured homes, to remove a potentially restrictive “designated manufactured home” requirement, and to add criteria for tiny homes and tiny‑home parks.
Maggie Boles told council the planning commission wants to reduce barriers that may prevent manufacturers or builders from locating newer, smaller factory-built dwellings in Leavenworth. Her draft would accept new manufactured homes (not previously sold separately and not more than three years off the lot) and remove a requirement that forced some units to meet a now-outdated “designated” standard that could be unnecessarily restrictive.
Building official Lewis explained the regulatory distinctions for tiny homes: if a unit is on wheels and remains a trailer, Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) and NFPA standards typically apply; if the unit is placed on a permanent foundation and is not a mobile chassis, the International Residential Code (IRC) governs and the city performs plan review and inspections. The International Code Council has a flowchart for these determinations, Lewis said, and the city’s draft references those distinctions.
The draft proposes limiting tiny homes to 400 square feet (ICC convention) before they are treated like a full dwelling and would require all units to meet Leavenworth’s snow, wind and seismic loads. The planning commission also suggested that tiny homes within a tiny‑home park be regulated under manufactured‑home park criteria until a distinct tiny‑home‑park code is developed.
Council members generally expressed support for allowing tiny homes and for using ADU or lot‑coverage rules to control density and setbacks. Several members emphasized the need to ensure permanent utility service (water and sewer) and off‑street parking for tiny units. Boles said staff would refine the draft and return with language for formal review by the planning commission and council.
