House committee hears testimony on bill to allow denser housing near transit

Representative Reid, sponsor of House Bill 1491, and state staff briefed the House Housing Committee on Jan. 28 on a proposal to require denser housing and related rules within designated transit station areas.

The bill would define a station area as a half-mile walking distance from an entrance to a rail or fixed-guideway stop and a quarter-mile from a bus rapid transit stop with fixed assets; it would require cities to allow multifamily housing where residential uses are allowed, set minimum floor-area ratios (FAR), limit off-street parking requirements in station areas, and provide a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) exemption for residential or mixed uses built in station areas. The measure also directs the Department of Commerce to administer a capital grant program to help cities provide infrastructure to accommodate transit-oriented development (TOD). No committee vote was taken; the hearing was informational.

Why it matters: Sponsors and many testimony witnesses framed the bill as a tool to expand housing near public transit, which supporters said would reduce sprawl, shorten commutes and increase housing options for working families. Opponents — including developers, some cities and commercial real estate groups — cautioned that state-mandated inclusionary affordability requirements could make projects financially infeasible and push development away from station areas.

What the bill would require and allow Serena Dolly, staff to the committee, summarized the core elements: the bill requires a minimum FAR of 3.5 in station areas centered on rail stops and 2.5 for bus rapid transit corridors, with a density bonus of 1.5 FAR where all units are permanent supportive or affordable housing. A newly built residential project in a station area would need to reserve at least 10…