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Council hears state‑driven childcare, parking and building‑conversion code changes; staff plans July ordinance
Summary
Planning staff briefed the council on several state bills that require city code updates covering childcare siting (SB 5509), reduced parking minimums (SB 6015 and SB 5184), and standards for conversion of existing buildings and energy efficiency (House Bill 1183). Staff expects to draft ordinances and return for adoption later in the summer.
Hans Shepherd, senior long‑range planner, briefed the council Jan. 23 on a cluster of state bills that require updates to Lacey’s code addressing childcare centers, parking rules and conversion of existing buildings to residential or mixed uses.
"It's no more than 0.5 off‑street stalls per multifamily unit, no more than 1 stall per single‑family unit, and no more than 2 stalls per 1,000 square feet of commercial space," Hans Shepherd said in summarizing the parking‑reform provisions staff must implement, explaining that the state lowers or removes certain minimum parking requirements for many uses while preserving ADA requirements.
Staff explained Senate Bill 5509 would require daycare and childcare centers to be permitted in most zones (with limited exceptions), and that parking‑reform bills (SB 6015 and SB 5184) reduce city ability to impose minimum parking for smaller residential units, commercial spaces below certain sizes, and other specified uses. House Bill 1183 was discussed in the context of conversions, energy efficiency and design criteria for adaptive reuse projects.
Shepherd walked council members through code chapters that will be affected (development procedures, building construction, zoning definitions, Title 16 zoning chapters and specific chapters for daycare and off‑street parking). He noted staff had identified places for clarifying language (for example, mini‑storage siting in some districts) while keeping the city’s objective design standards that remain required under state law.
Council members asked whether electric‑vehicle charging or other climate measures were part of the parking updates; staff said the bills were largely silent on EVs and that existing municipal or building code requirements (where they exist) would remain in effect.
Staff penciled a return for ordinance adoption on July 21 and said the city attorney will draft the ordinance language in the coming weeks.
Next steps: city staff will draft ordinance language aligned with the state bills, coordinate with the city attorney’s office, and return to the council for public hearing and adoption.
