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Staff proposes automatic sprinklers for new residential builds and a 'green factor' landscaping standard as part of UDC rewrite
Summary
As part of the Unified Development Code rewrite, staff and fire officials recommended requiring automatic fire sprinklers in new 1‑ and 2‑family residential construction (including ADUs) to improve life safety and reduce property loss; they also introduced a proposed green‑factor score system to improve landscaping and stormwater outcomes.
City planning staff and Lynnwood fire prevention officials presented proposed changes April 7 to the city’s Unified Development Code (UDC), including a proposal to require automatic fire sprinklers in all new residential structures and a menu‑based “green factor” landscaping standard to increase on‑site vegetation and green infrastructure.
Why it matters: State changes that expand middle‑housing options will increase housing density in the city. Fire officials said sprinklers reduce civilian fatalities and property loss and protect firefighters; planning staff said a green factor could improve urban landscaping and stormwater management in new development.
Fire sprinklers: proposal and rationale
Deputy Fire Marshal Alex Genes and Deputy Fire Marshal Dale Rodman outlined the code change staff is considering: extend automatic sprinkler requirements beyond the current triggers (three‑unit attached dwellings; structures beyond a specified distance from hydrants; buildings 5,000 sq ft or larger) to include all new single‑family and two‑family residential structures, and to include ADUs constructed under the new state rules. Rodman cited national data and local interviews with contractors: "The nationwide statistics are saying that 94% of homes that have... these sprinkler systems that's contained to the room of origin," he said.
Officials estimated modern sprinkler systems cost on the order of about $4 per square foot for a typical Lynnwood house (the presentation used a city average home size of roughly 1,900 sq ft and a representative install cost of about $7,600). Fire staff said sprinklers reduce civilian death rates and property losses and can be installed as part of new construction plumbing with limited long‑term maintenance. Insurance savings cited in the presentation were modest locally (staff reported an observed 3% premium reduction, while national averages range higher).
Green factor: landscaping and site design
Planning staff described a proposed green‑factor scoring system that would give developers a menu of landscape and green infrastructure measures (larger trees, native plantings, rain gardens, green roofs) and award points for features that soften hard edges and increase stormwater retention. The green factor would work alongside existing tree regulations and could reward on‑site and adjacent public‑right‑of‑way plantings maintained by property owners.
Next steps and schedule
Staff said the UDC rewrite is on a compressed schedule to reflect recent state changes to middle‑housing law; staff proposed further UDC work sessions in April and May, an online open house (April 29) and a targeted public hearing and adoption timeline aiming for a June completion to meet state deadlines. Fire staff urged the council to consider sprinkler requirements for new residential construction as part of the UDC amendments; council members asked staff to return with more detail on cost impacts and possible exemptions or offsets.
No ordinance was adopted at the work session; staff said they will return with more detailed recommended code language and potential impact analyses.
