Progress of Comprehensive Plans for Housing
In 2023, Washington State underwent significant changes in housing legislation in 2023. Some of the major changes pertaining to multiplexes and accessory dwelling units, in particular, have been discussed previously in blog posts here, here, and here. The relevant laws went into effect on July 23, 2023, and the law requires Cities to adopt compliant zoning laws within six months of completing their next Comprehensive Plan update.
With many cities having Comprehensive Plans due by the end of 2024, the changes have started to gain traction on local levels. While not necessarily as clear as many would like, in no small part because the rollout is happening in real time and the changes can be extensive, different cities have taken a variety of approaches in relation to their respective comprehensive plans. While covering the sheer variety and detail of these plans extends far beyond the scope of this blog post, a few highlights from some of the cities in Western Washington can provide some illustration.
The City of Edmonds adopted their Comprehensive Plan, entitled Everyone’s Edmonds on December 17, 2024. Everyone’s Edmonds designated neighborhood centers and hubs to accommodate commercial uses and multifamily housing. The City of Edmonds needs to update the development code accordingly. Some of the first items on the agenda for the City of Edmonds related to housing are:
- – Code updates for neighborhood centers and hubs to accommodate commercial uses and multifamily housing; and
- – Addressing STEP (Shelter, Transitional Housing, Emergency Housing, and Permanent Supportive Housing).
With interim ordinances having passed on these items, public hearings will be held for comment. Additional code updates will come along by the end of June, which is the deadline for passing compliant zoning.
Meanwhile, the City of Seattle has developed its One Seattle Plan, with just a few of the highlights being the following:
- Proposal of 30 New “Neighborhood Centers” suitable for residential and mixed-use buildings up to 6 stories in the business core. This is expected to allow for some 30,000 homes near transit areas and amenities;
- Increased density along transit routes to promote development in areas with easy access to transit options;
- Allowance for corner stores throughout Neighborhood Residential areas to support small businesses; and
- Expanding the boundaries of urban centers and establishing a new urban center at the upcoming 130th Street Light Rail Station.
Public hearing on the Seattle mayor’s proposed comprehensive plan currently scheduled for February 5th.
Finally, on November 20, 2024, the City of Redmond has adopted its Redmond 2050 Comprehensive Plan. Some of the highlights include:
- Consolidation of residential zones from 13 different zones into 2 zones total, including a new “Neighborhood Mixed-use” zone to increase affordable housing and to allow for different types of homes to be built.
- Reduction of the overall number of zones from 50 down to 20.
- Increase capacity and building heights in the Overlake, Marymoor, and Downtown areas.
The City of Redmond will hold a public hearing regarding reorganization of the zoning code on February 4th, which includes some of the updates to implement Redmond 2050.
These represent only a small portion of the local activity stemming in part from the housing changes. As housing changes become prevalent throughout Washington State, an increase in construction may occur. Owners and contractors will face a variety of opportunities and challenges as they take on development and construction projects, including but not limited to, ensuring the appropriateness of construction contracts, and addressing disputes that may arise between parties during or after construction.
If you are a homeowner, contractor, subcontractor, developer, or any other party dealing with commercial or residential real estate issues, please feel free to contact Beresford Booth at info@beresfordlaw.com or by phone at (425) 776-4100.
