Liberty Lake planners review state-driven housing code changes, ADU and middle‑housing requirements

Liberty Lake — City staff and outside consultants presented a detailed workshop on the city’s housing policy and the code changes needed to comply with recently enacted Washington state laws, and discussed options to expand housing types and streamline permitting.

The presentation was led by Sharifa Bridal Salam, a representative of SCJ Alliance; Jennifer Shuck and Andrew Oliver of Leland Consulting Group; and Lisa (city staff), who introduced the team. "The idea is just to identify those barriers, make suggestions, about how those barriers could be addressed, and then have that as a jumping off point for conversation for you all," Jennifer Shuck said as she described the Department of Commerce checklists the team used.

Why it matters: The presenters said Liberty Lake must update its development regulations to meet state requirements under HB 1220 and HB 1337 and related RCW provisions. Those changes will affect where and how duplexes, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), permanent supportive housing and emergency housing can be sited and regulated in the city.

Key state-driven requirements and local implications

- Duplexes in single‑family zones: Sharifa Bridal Salam said state law requires jurisdictions to allow two‑unit configurations (for example duplexes, stacked units, or paired cottages) in zones that now permit only single‑family homes. The consultants recommended the commission plan to allow duplexes across R‑1 zones to comply with the law.

- ADU changes: The consultants reported Liberty Lake currently allows one ADU per lot, prohibits ADUs with multifamily developments and sets size and lot minima that conflict with state law. "The current code says your ADU size cannot be larger than 35% of the main unit size or 900 square feet, whichever is smaller. . . . We can raise that 900 square foot to a thousand square foot in order to comply with state legislation," Sharifa said. The team noted state law requires tier‑3 cities (like Liberty Lake) to allow two ADUs on qualifying lots and prohibits owner‑occupancy mandates for the primary unit.

- Supportive and emergency housing: Consultants said city spacing, occupancy and transit‑proximity rules can be barriers. Jennifer Shuck summarized the change: spacing and occupancy limits that effectively exclude facilities are in conflict with state requirements and will need revision. The presentation noted the city was already taking steps on emergency housing and that similar changes will be needed for permanent supportive housing.

Local regulatory barriers and recommended options

The consultants grouped code issues into zoning and density, parking, design standards and permitting:

- Density: The R‑2 zone currently allows 12 dwelling units per acre; the team proposed considering 16 units per acre as typical for townhomes and other moderate‑density housing.

- Parking: Present code applies the same parking ratio to all unit sizes (for example 1.75 spaces for a studio and a three‑bedroom). The consultants recommended tying parking to unit size or bedrooms and noted state law prevents requiring off‑street parking for ADUs and middle housing within a half‑mile of major transit stops. On supportive housing, they noted typical local standards requiring 0.5 spaces per bed plus one per employee may be excessive where residents are unlikely to own vehicles.

- Design standards and review: The presenters identified several requirements that increase cost or limit flexibility — for example mandatory patios and deck area percentages for multifamily ground‑floor units, ADU fencing and roof‑pitch rules, a minimum manufactured‑home footprint of 1,000 square feet, and a one‑to‑one requirement of commercial to residential floor area in some mixed‑use zones. They suggested selectively relaxing or tying requirements to unit size and making some design review processes administrative to reduce time and cost.

- Permitting and ownership options: Consultants said the code must allow unit lot subdivisions or condominiumization for duplexes so each unit can be sold separately, and recommended streamlining subdivision review and design review for middle housing to reduce barriers to construction.

Racially disparate‑impact analysis and housing need snapshots

Andrew Oliver and Jennifer Shuck presented a racially disparate‑impact analysis using Department of Commerce guidance and HUD/CHAS datasets. They said Liberty Lake’s population is about 93% white, and that the CHAS data show relatively low overall cost burden in the city, with a small deficit of units affordable to households earning below 30% of area median income. The consultants cautioned the dataset uses multi‑year American Community Survey averages (the CHAS dataset spans roughly 2017–2021) and observed that more current point‑in‑time affordability measures would be useful for public engagement.

Public engagement and next steps

City staff said the consultants’ packet and presentation slides will be posted on the city website and that a follow‑up housing policy workshop is scheduled for February 26. Lisa (city staff) told the commission the team will separate the code changes that are legally required from the optional policy choices and present a prioritized list at the next workshop. The consultants and staff described a multi‑step process: finalize required code amendments to meet state statutes, then pursue optional strategies (density, ADU configuration, parking reforms, design standard relaxations) guided by public engagement and the city’s vision.

What the commission decided today

The presentation was received and staff scheduled additional workshops to develop draft code language and community engagement materials; no substantive code amendments were adopted at this meeting. The commission will consider concrete code edits and a combined housing/community services chapter later in the comp‑plan update process.

Context and local constraints

Presenters also highlighted physical constraints in several growth areas (Legacy Ridge, Legacy Ridge West, and "Bell A Lago" as cited in the presentation) where slopes greater than about 20% substantially increase construction costs. The consultants noted such topography limits where lower‑cost housing can realistically be built within the city.

Quotes and attribution

- "The idea is just to identify those barriers, make suggestions, about how those barriers could be addressed, and then have that as a jumping off point for conversation for you all," Jennifer Shuck, Leland Consulting Group.

- "We must allow duplexes in all residential zones," Sharifa Bridal Salam, SCJ Alliance, summarizing state requirements discussed in the presentation.

Ending

City staff and the consultant team said they will return with a clear list separating (1) code changes required by state law and (2) optional policy choices for Liberty Lake. The commission set a follow‑up housing workshop for Feb. 26 and will review draft language and public engagement plans before any formal code amendments are published for public comment.