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Committee considers bill to allow more ground‑floor housing and mass‑timber incentives
Summary
The Senate Housing Committee heard Feb. 5 on Senate Bill 5,555, which would allow more residential uses on ground floors of commercial or mixed‑use buildings in certain station areas and encourage mass‑timber construction by allowing increased height and density where mass timber is used.
The Senate Housing Committee heard Feb. 5 on Senate Bill 5,555, which would require cities and code cities planning under the Growth Management Act to allow additions of housing units on ground floors of commercial or mixed‑use buildings in station areas that are not designated as major pedestrian corridors, limit cities to designating at most 10% of mixed‑use or commercial area as "major pedestrian corridor," and allow greater building height and density for commercial and mixed‑use zones where developments use mass timber construction.
Ben Humboldt, committee staff, reviewed the bill's scope and definitions, noting that a "station area" is a mapped area within an urban growth area near certain transit stations and that the bill would require expedited variances from street‑level use standards when those standards would reduce the number of housing units created. The staff summary also described the Washington State Building Code Council's role in adopting rules for mass timber and listed a model of allowable mass timber products.
Senator Mark Solomon, sponsor, said the bill reflects changing retail demand and the post‑COVID decline in traditional ground‑floor retail: "We required that the Ground Floor be commercial. But we didn't anticipate COVID... now we have a situation where we might have these requirements where... it's not always going to good use. And so now it makes a lot of sense to allow or require the allowance of that be for residential." He said mass timber allowances are intended to diversify housing types.
Supporters included Robert Singleton of Chamber of Progress, who described mixed‑use, transit‑oriented infill as a way to increase housing supply and create "vibrant" urban spaces. Morgan Irvin of the Association of Washington Business said the bill's general idea—allowing mixed commercial and residential uses where appropriate—was constructive and that his organization would submit technical feedback. Karl Schrader of the Association of Washington Cities urged caution on the 10% cap and warned commercial zones are an important city fiscal resource.
No committee vote was taken on SB 5,555 Feb. 5. Witnesses asked for technical refinement, and cities requested more flexibility to tailor ground‑floor use designations to local conditions.
