Contract attorney: state middle‑housing changes will shape local housing mix

Missy Ryan of Bateman Seidel, the city's contract attorney on the call, told the joint workshop that state law has increasingly made middle housing easier to build and that those statutory changes will affect the market mix. She said middle housing now can include detached 'cottage clusters' and that CC&Rs for new subdivisions cannot prohibit certain middle-housing types under recent legislation.

Ryan framed those changes as market drivers that should be considered alongside local code and annexation policy: as middle housing becomes easier to site, developers are likely to propose more duplexes or triplexes where allowed. She cautioned that the city must craft clear, objective annexation criteria that meet state requirements while preserving local character.