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Duval council adopts state‑required co‑living and residential parking code updates
Summary
The council passed Agenda Bill 26‑15 on Feb. 3 to update municipal zoning to allow co‑living housing in zones that permit multifamily units and to conform residential parking calculations to 2024 state statutes; planning staff said the changes are required by the Revised Code of Washington.
Duval — The City Council voted Feb. 3 to adopt zoning amendments that add co‑living housing as an allowed use where multifamily housing is permitted and adjust residential parking requirements to match state law.
Why it matters: The revisions respond to 2024 state legislation that cities must implement; they change how ‘sleeping units’ in co‑living developments are counted for density (each sleeping unit counts as 0.25 of a dwelling unit) and modify what kinds of parking stalls may count toward minimum residential parking requirements.
Associate Planner Madeline Wirtz told council the changes are largely nondiscretionary: “co‑living housing is more dorm‑style apartments” she said, and the code language in the packet largely mirrors the revised code of Washington. Planning commission held a public hearing on Jan. 28 and recommended approval; no members of the public signed in to comment at the council hearing.
Council discussion emphasized that the amendments implement state requirements and urged staff to monitor how the rules affect small cities. Council members noted parking and transit realities in smaller communities and discussed displacement and affordability concerns that could arise with future development.
What the ordinance does: It amends Duval Municipal Code Title 14 (zones R12, R20, MU12, MU1, MTOT, UT1 and commercial zones) to allow co‑living housing; adds definitions for “co‑living housing,” “sleeping unit,” “dormitory” and “tandem parking;” and revises Chapter 14.44 to conform residential parking rules to the RCW language.
The vote: Council moved, seconded and approved Agenda Bill 26‑15 via voice vote; the city clerk recorded the motion as passed.
What’s next: Staff will incorporate the adopted language into the municipal code, continue broader rezoning work required by the Growth Management Act, and track legislative changes that could affect local parking and land‑use rules.
