Bonney Lake committee forwards 2025-26 planning work plan; flags state mandate to allow two ADUs per lot

The Bonney Lake City Community Development Committee on Jan. 21, 2025 agreed to forward Resolution R25-04, the Planning Commission's 2025-26 work plan, to the full City Council and discussed regulatory changes needed to comply with recent state requirements affecting accessory dwelling units.

Staff explained the work plan covers outstanding elements of the comprehensive plan update, including the transportation element, capital facilities element and an implementation element that will set policy priorities and timing. The comprehensive-plan update was due Dec. 31, 2024; staff told the committee delays from consultant turnover and staffing changes mean the city is negotiating timelines with the Washington State Department of Commerce and the Puget Sound Regional Council and now expects completion in June or July 2025.

A substantial part of the discussion focused on House Bill 1337, which staff said will require the city to allow two ADUs on each lot and prevents certain local prohibitions. "Gross House Bill 1337, which requires us to allow 2 ADUs on every lot," a staff member said, summarizing the state requirement. Committee members and staff described implications for city regulation of utilities, fees and parking.

Staff advised the committee that, absent locally adopted standards meeting the state minimums by the required deadline, the state's default rules would apply and the city's existing code could be invalidated for these topics. Councilmember McCliman urged action to adopt local standards because otherwise "our staff will be told to follow the state law because we're preempted by state law."

The committee discussed likely code changes the city will pursue if the council approves the work plan. Those changes include requiring separate water meters and sewer connections for ADUs that could be condominiumized, adding impact-fee and system-development-charge (SDC) language (at rates the state allows, often up to 50% for ADUs), and clarifying parking and setback rules where state law limits local requirements. Staff said work on construction-code cross-references and routine housekeeping updates to align with the 2021 building code also will be included in the work plan.

Committee members asked staff to bring the work plan to full council and to proceed with ordinance and code amendments in the coming months. Several members said the ADU discussion will require deeper review and likely full-council consideration because of its long-term effects on housing supply, utilities and neighborhood character.

R25-04 will be placed on a future full-council agenda for formal adoption and to begin the ordinance drafting and public-notice process.