If you’ve seen one of our signs or received a flyer, you may be interested in knowing what’s changed, especially since there were a bunch of changes at the April 23rd Planning Commission meeting.
First, there was a vote to count any detached DADUs toward the unit count, so if someone builds two DADUs, they would then be able to build only two or four Middle Housing units (depending on the area and/or if they pay a fee-in-lieu of $150k per unit). There will still be some advantages to building an ADU, such as reduced fees, but they are allowed to be 28′ instead of 38′ tall and are only up to 1200 sqft + 300 sqft of parking or storage. That 300 sqft is up from the 250 sqft that had been in the draft prior to the April 23rd meeting.
Attached ADUs are still allowed in addition to the four or six units. I think there could be an 8 unit building where all units are the same size, or, more likely, 6 homes that are all the same size, at least two of which have an internal ADU. While it’s likely that the AADU is not sold separately, it is a bit of future-proofing that enables more flexible uses in the future, and might be a nice way to share a larger home as a multigenerational option. Large homes like this wouldn’t uncommonly have wetbars on some floors anyhow, so it’s not as if that extra kitchen requirement is a waste. An attached ADUs does have the possibility of being more than 1200 sqft if it is all on one floor.
The mailer above also should be updated to reflect the changes the Planning Commission voted on for where 6 middle housing units are allowed by right; it will no longer be near the frequent bus lines and neighborhood centers, but there is still a greater walking distance (1/2 mile) around Major Transit than required by the HB 1110 (1/4 mile walking distance), and it will also include areas that are within a 1/4 mile walk of the edge of Downtown, BelRed, Factoria, Eastgate, Crossroads, Wilburton, and East Main. You can see the map here.
Vishal Bhargava was sworn into City Council on May 6th, replacing John Stokes. Congratulations, Vishal!
As for the sign (below), there were lots of changes – staff clarified that the walking distance will be used instead of the radius, and I also had previously misunderstood the purpose of the HB 1096 Lot Splitting bill. It should grease the skids in important ways, by making these changes administratively easier, and cheaper with less notice to the neighbors, but shouldn’t change the density allowed. Possible that wording could be added like the Model Ordinance that restricts middle housing on lots that have had the lot split, if people ask for that.
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