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Home My WebLink AboutPlanning 2024-12-12 Item 6 - Legislative Changes and Future Houskeeping Items & Middle Housing ProjectCity of Tukwila Thomas McLeod, Mayor INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM TO: Planning Commission FROM: Nora Gierloff, AICP, Community Development Director BY: Neil Tabor, AICP, Senior Planner DATE: 12/2/2024 SUBJECT: December 12, 2024, Planning Commission Memo ISSUE Staff will provide background on several future housekeeping code amendments that will be further developed and revisited at a future meeting. Early middle housing renderings will also be discussed. BACKGROUND & DISCUSSION In the interest of staggering planning commission and staff time, a housekeeping code package is proposed to be developed with a combination of legislative and non -legislative updates, including: • Amending the requirements for phased Binding Site Improvement Plans • Residential conversions of non-residential buildings consistent with SB 1042 • Removing townhouses as a permitted use in Tukwila Urban Center zones for consistency with regional requirements Binding Site Improvements Binding Site Improvement Plans are plans used to provide flexibility for sale of property within a larger development. These developments often rely on shared features within the larger site, such as parking, access points, landscaping, utilities, refuse collection areas, etc. As an alternative to the traditional subdivision process, these plans are typically used for commercial or industrial sites, however, they can also be used for residential and mixed use developments, which may desire to sell individual portions of land for building sites, while retaining shared common areas. BSIPs can also provide flexibility when combined with creating condominium ownership or phased development. Codified in TMC 17.16, BSIPs proposing to develop in phases are required to enter into a development agreement in addition to completing the BSIP. Staff believes this requirement is redundant to the BSIP process and existing requirements. Development agreements add cost to a project by adding several months of process time for review, analysis, legal consultants, contracting, and scheduling of a public hearing before City Council. This equates to months of unnecessary additional carrying costs for developers on what are generally large scale projects, in addition to permit fees. In addition to the staff and City Council time exhausted, this process also creates uncertainty for the developer by changing the review from being entirely administrative, based on municipal code standards, to a legislative process before the City Council on a generally, technically complex topic. Staff is proposing to create a code amendment to remove the requirement for phased BSIPs to also complete development agreements. Development agreements would remain an option for developers of phased BSIPs if circumstances of the development made them desirable. 11 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 2 SB 1042 In the 2023 legislative session the state legislature passed a bill broadening the required allowances for conversion of non-residential buildings, or non-residential portions of buildings, into multifamily spaces. This bills intends to encourage conversion of underutilized office and commercial space into much needed residential units. Viability of individual buildings for conversion will be entirely case by case, but the City is required to adopt code compliant with the bill by six months after the adoption of the comprehensive plan, or June 30, 2025. Per the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) some of the key provisions of the requirements include: • Allowing a 50% density increase above what is permitted in the underlying zone if the housing is constructed entirely within the envelope of an existing building, provided that generally applicable health and safety standards can be met; • Prohibiting the imposition of parking standards on the additional dwelling units (however, cities may require retention of existing parking required to satisfy existing residential parking requirements under local law and for any nonresidential uses that remain after new units are added); • Prohibiting imposing additional permitting requirements on use of existing buildings beyond those applicable to all residential development in the zone, with the exception of emergency and transitional housing; • Prohibiting the imposition of additional design standards beyond those generally applicable to all residential development in the zone; • Prohibiting requiring that unchanged portions of an existing building used for residential purposes meet the current energy code (however, if any portion of an existing building is converted to new dwelling units, the new units must meet the current code); and • Prohibiting denial of a building permit based on certain existing nonconformities unless a city official with decision -making authority makes findings that the nonconformity is causing a significant detriment to the surrounding area. https://tukwilawa.sharepoint.com/sites/departmentofcommunitydevelopment/DCDPlanning/Long Range Planning/2024 Comprehensive Plan/00 - Planning loj mission Coordination/2024-12-12 mtg/24-12-12 PC Memo.docx INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 3 Townhouses in Tukwila Urban Center The Tukwila Urban Center is a regional center designated with the Puget Sound Regional Council for future growth, capitalizing on transit infrastructure to reduce car dependency. Center designations can provide additional funding resources to improve these areas and help them transition into denser transit -oriented development over time. Part of the requirements for a center is to plan for a minimum of 45 "activity units" per acre. This metric is a summation jobs and housing units per acre. Currently, the Urban Center contains approximately 22 activity units per acre, about half of the density the area is planned for. This total is largely jobs, with recent housing growth in the last ten years beginning to add to this total. As they City plans for additional growth in this area redevelopment should be encouraged to meet or exceed the minimum activity unit density planned for the area. While this naturally occurs in part from market demand and property values, development allowances should encourage uses which align with this density and not permit uses which are not expected to support this density. Townhouses are Frgure 70.7: Tukwila"s Urban Center (So entcenter)9oundarres one such use currently permitted in the TUC — Regional Center, TUC — Pond, TUC — TOD and partially within the TUC — Work Place zoning districts, that would likely not meet the minimum density of 45 activity units per acre if developed. Generally, townhouses, even when constructed in an especially dense manner, would not be expected to reach 30 units per acre. As townhouses will likely be permitted throughout other residential zones within the City after the adoption of middle housing updates, staff believes townhouses should be removed from the Tukwila Urban Center zones. Staff will provide an initial rendering of different examples of potential middle housing development on a parcel for group discussion. ATTACHMENTS Powerpoint Presentation https://tukwilawa.sharepoint.com/sites/departmentofcommunitydevelopment/DCDPlanning/Long Range Planning/2024 Comprehensive Plan/00 - Planning Commission Coordination/2024-12-12 mtg/24-12-12 PC Memo.docx 13 14 15 Items • Binding Site Improvement Plans • Residential Conversions (SB 1042) • Townhomes in Tukwila Urban Center • Middle Housing Binding Site Improvement Plans Background • Binding Site Improvement Plans are a process similar, but different, than the subdivision process, which allow separation of areas of land within the larger connected site • This can be beneficial for: • Sharing common features such as parking or utilities • Selling off "pads" or portions of a site • Developing in multiple phases over time • Tukwila's code currently requires BSIPs developing in phases to also execute a Development Agreement, a contract between the City and Developer approved by the City Council TO ISHS..54 NORTH, RAIi 5 YA$T, 14.1.L RAT 01131721714144 IC; LW 1.64—WWI 141MRA' SWITO P dwII MOL{Ai 41 IslaN. 9R MON4 _ %AN 17,7 r . 1. .^ ....�_ www�T ... 18 101,-1 .1 1,-r.-• 4Yiw r• evi 1 cm is uvEN q l�lJiSci Simple Predictable Onite Petsen se � _ Ilit tit 4 1� yam'— +�,'� F �.. r, Proposed Change • Planning and Legal Staff have identified the requirement for a Development Agreement (DA) for phased BSIPs as redundant to the process and unnecessarily costly and cumbersome for developers, and creating unnecessary work for staff and City Council • Staff is proposing to amend Title 17 of the Municipal Code to remove the DA requirement for phased BSIPs • The City receives very few applications for phased BSIPs, in part due to limited greenfield development, but may see more with increased denser infill development 19 Legislative Updates Required • June 2025: • Middle Housing (HB 1110) • Objective Design Review (HB 1293) • Residential Conversions (SB 1042) • Residential Parking (SB 6015) • ADU Cleanup (HB 1337) • Unit Lot Subdivision Cleanup & Proportionate Impact Fees(SB 5258) • December 2025: • Co -living Housing (HB 1998) • Critical Areas Update SB 1042 Background • SB 1042 provides developers flexibility in converting non- residential structures in commercial and mixed -use zones into multifamily structures • Limitations jurisdictions cannot apply include: • Requiring additional parking • Density below 1.5x of zone allowance • Additional site or setback requirements • Additional requirements for non -STEP housing • Exterior design requirements beyond life and safety considerations • SEPA review and traffic concurrency SB 1042 Implementation • Recognizing the number of updates that are required in the first half of 2025 staff is proposing to move forward a SB 1042 compliant code package in the beginning of 2025 • Staff will evaluate the most direct way to introduce compliance with these requirements in a combined code amendment package to leave space for middle housing, design review, and with later Planning Commission meetings Tukwila Urban Center • Tukwila has two centers designated by the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) • Manufacturing and Industrial Center (North Tukwila) • Urban Center (Southcenter) • These centers are intended to provide a high density of jobs and housing units near transit, or cluster industrial uses • Urban Centers must plan for at least 45 activity units (jobs + housing units) per acre • The Tukwila Urban Center currently has about 22 activity units Townhouses in the Urban Center • Several of the zoning districts within the Tukwila Urban Center currently allow townhomes as a permitted residential use • While not undesirable as a housing type, townhome development will not meet the density requirements of the urban center • Townhouses are planned to be permitted across other residential zones with the middle housing code update • Staff proposes removing the allowance of townhomes in the Urban Center to align new development with desired density Address: 160 Greer? Street, Melrose Units: 6 Acres: 0.22 Density: 27 Units/Acre Middle Housing • The following slides include several renderings of potential middle housing products and associated development standards • Two of the examples include parking, while one does not • Design is minimal to focus on the massing scale of the units Wide Duplex Wide Duplex Wide Lot - Duplex Base Lot Size Divided Lot Size Allowed Density Max Impervious Area Max Lot Coverage Actual Coverage Setbacks Internal Setbacks 10,000 sqft 5,000 sqft 3 Dwellings 3,750 sqft 2,500 sqft 834 sqft Front Side Rear Porch Bonus Private Drive Internal Lot Line 2 Lots Total 6 Dwellings Total per lot 15' 5' 10' 8' N/A 0' Narrow Duplex Narrow Duplex Narrow Lot - Duplex Base Lot Size Divided Lot Size Allowed Density Max Impervious Area Max Lot Coverage Actual Coverage Setback Internal Setbacks 20,000 sqft 5,000 sqft 3 Dwellings 3,750 sqft 2,500 sqft 934 sqft Front Side Rear Porch Bonus Private Drive 4 Lots Total 12 Dwellings Total per lot 15' 5' 10' 8' 5-8' Internal Lot Line 5' 29 Narrow Triplex & ADU Narrow Triplex & ADU Narrow Triplex & ADU Base Lot Size Divided Lot Size Allowed Density Max Impervious Area Max Lot Coverage Actual Coverage Setback Internal Setbacks 20,000 sqft 5,000 sqft 3 Dwellings 3,750 sqft 2,500 sqft 657 sqft Front Side Rear Porch Bonus Private Drive Internal Lot Line 4 Lots Total 12 Dwellings Total per lot 15' 5' 10' 8' 5-8' 5' 31 Questions & Discussion