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Federal Way staff brief council on sweeping state parking reform and local code changes ahead
Summary
City planning staff briefed the committee on Senate Bill 5184 (Parking Reform and Modernization Act), which limits local minimum parking requirements (e.g., to 0.5 spaces per multifamily unit) and requires cities of Federal Way's size to comply by Jan. 2027; staff plan Planning Commission and LUTC hearings in summer/fall 2026.
Senior planner Evan Lewis gave an informational briefing to the Land Use & Transportation Committee describing how Senate Bill 5184 will change the city's required minimum parking standards.
Lewis said SB 5184 (the Parking Reform and Modernization Act) limits the minimum parking cities can require — for example, reducing multifamily minimums to one‑half space per unit, setting single‑family requirements at one space per dwelling, and establishing commercial requirements of two spaces per 1,000 square feet in many cases. The law also specifies uses for which cities cannot require parking (residences under 1,200 sq ft, small commercial spaces under 3,000 sq ft, affordable and senior housing, child care centers, and certain mixed‑use or change‑of‑use projects).
“Cities cannot require more parking than the following,” Lewis said, summarizing the state ratios and noting that the law does not cap how much parking developers may provide. He said the Department of Commerce will issue nonbinding guidance with clarifications and that the city expects final guidance in June 2026; staff plan to bring a draft ordinance to the Planning Commission in June and to LUTC in September with adoption aimed for October, pending any surprises in state guidance.
Council members asked detailed questions about definitions (state definition of affordable housing differs from city code), ADA parking implications (staff noted ADA requirements remain in force but that the interaction between reduced parking minimums and required accessible spaces may lead to fewer ADA spaces if overall parking provided declines), and special treatment for religious organizations (SB 5184 does not limit parking requirements for religious organizations; councilmembers queried the rationale). Staff said additional guidance from the state and internal coordination will inform code updates.
Next steps: staff will track state guidance, draft local code changes and present them to the Planning Commission on June 17 and to LUTC later in 2026.
