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Commission refines co-living language: adopt RCW sleeping-unit definitions, allow kitchenettes and tailor parking
Summary
Commissioners and staff agreed to rely on RCW definitions for sleeping units and lodging units, allow kitchenettes (but not full kitchens) in sleeping units, and make parking requirements specific to co-living definitions to avoid conflicts with hotel and dwelling-unit code.
The commission reviewed draft co-living code language and focused on aligning local definitions with the RCW. Commissioners agreed that a sleeping unit should follow the RCW guidance (minimum square footage and shared facilities) and that lodging units (hotel rooms) should remain defined separately. One participant recommended copying the state wording for sleeping units to avoid conflicts: "We can just reference the RCW, which defines..." a commissioner said.
On the practical side, commissioners decided sleeping units may have kitchenette facilities but should not include a full kitchen paired with private sanitation (which would make the space a dwelling unit). Parking rules will be written specifically for co-living so that sleeping-unit parking requirements do not conflict with hotel or dwelling-unit parking standards. Staff will rewrite definitions and extract the 'sleeping unit' reference out of hotel code sections to avoid cross-application errors before the next draft is circulated.
