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Senate panel hears debate on bill to allow housing in commercial zones, with cities and small towns seeking carve‑outs
Summary
The Senate Housing Committee heard hours of public testimony on SB 6,026, a governor‑requested bill that would require cities and counties planning under the Growth Management Act to allow residential uses in many commercial and mixed‑use zones while prohibiting mandated ground‑floor retail outside transit‑oriented station areas; supporters say it unlocks underused land, opponents seek targeted exemptions for small towns and key retail corridors.
Senators heard competing views Jan. 16 on SB 6,026, a governor‑requested bill that would legalize residential development in many commercial and mixed‑use zones across Washington.
Senator Tana Alvarado, the bill’s prime sponsor, said the measure is designed to open underused commercial properties — “a lot of unused, underutilized land right now” — to housing and to remove requirements that can make housing projects financially infeasible. “It’s about legalizing residential development in commercial zones,” Alvarado said.
Administration witnesses and developers urged the committee to act quickly. Em Stone, the governor’s housing policy adviser, described the bill as an important step to increase housing supply and praised a proposed substitute…
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