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Home My WebLink AboutPlanning 2025-01-23 ITEM 6.3 - Public Hearing - Townhouses in Tukwila Urban CenterCity of Tukwila Thomas McLeod, Mayor STAFF REPORT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION Prepared January 14, 2025 HEARING DATE: January 23, 2025 FILE NUMBERS: L25-0003 E24-0004 APPPLICANT: City of Tukwila REQUEST: Code amendment proposal to remove townhouses as an allowed use in three zoning districts LOCATION: Policies apply throughout the City of Tukwila NOTIFICATION: Hearing Notice was published in the Seattle Times on January 9, 2025, and posted on the City of Tukwila website on January 9, 2025. SEPA DETERMINATION: An environmental determination will be issued prior to City Council consideration. STAFF: BACKGROUND Neil Tabor, AICP, Senior Planner 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. This Center designation under the Regional Growth Strategy, makes this area eligible for additional funding that can improve these areas and help them transition into denser transit -oriented development over time. Part of the requirement for a Center is that it plan for a minimum of 45 "activity units" per acre. This metric is a summation of jobs and housing units per acre. Currently, the Tukwila Urban Center contains approximately 22 activity units per acre, about half of the density for which the area is planned. This total is supported largely through area jobs, Figure 70.7: Tukwila's Urban Center{Southcenter) Baundaries 79 Page 2 with recent housing growth in the last ten years beginning to help support the targeted activity unit total. FINDINGS As the City plans for additional growth in the Urban Center, 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 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. SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES Staff proposes removing townhouses from the list of allowed dwelling types in table 18- 2, affecting the Tukwila Urban Center Regional Center, Transit Oriented Development and Pond Zoning Districts. P = Permitted, A = Accessory, C = Conditional, UUP = Unclassified Use Permit Business For parking requirements see Table 18-5 Regional Pond Commercial Work - license or Figure 18-7 Center TOD District Center Place Residential 320 Dormitories A A Ref. above' P P P P4 Dwelling: Multi -family, Townhouses, Mixed Use, Senior Citizen Housing 510 Home Occupation A A A P4 270 Continuing Care Retirement Community P P REQUESTED ACTION Staff is requesting that the Planning Commission forward a recommendation for adoption of the proposed redlined language to the City Council for their further review and adoption. ATTACHMENTS A. Proposed Code Amendment (Redlined) https://tukwilawa.sharepoint.com/sites/departmentofcommunitydevelopment/DCDPlanning/Long Range Planning/2024 Comprehensive Plan/00 - Planning 8Ir�i nission Coordination/2025-01-23 public hearing/L25-0003 Townhouse Allowances/PC Public Hearing Staff Report L25-0003.docx Attachment A, L25-0003 P = Permitted, A = Accessory, C = Conditional, UUP = Unclassified Use Permit Business For parking requirements see Table 18-5 or Regional Pond Commercial Work - license Figure 18-7 Center TOD District Center Place Retail 1 60 Animal Kennels and Shelters, including doggy daycare C C 810A Athletic or Health Clubs P P P P P 90 Automotive Service and Repair P2 P 400 Banks, Financial, Insurance, and Real Estate Services P P P 1030 Bar & Nightclubs P P3 P P Ref. abovet Brew Pubs, On -Site Brewing, Cocktail Lounges, & Pool Halls P P P P Bulk Retail P P P Business Services (e.g. copying, fax and mailing centers) P P P P Ref. abovet Drive Through Facilities or Services P P3 P P 360A Electric Vehicle Charging Station L1&2 P P P P P 360E Electric Vehicle Charging State L3 A P3 A A A 90 Gas Stations, including Car Wash P3 P P General Retail P P P P P Ref. abovet Laundries, Tailors, and Dry Cleaners P P P P P Ref. abovet Personal Services (e.g. beauty & barber shops, nail salons, spa, travel agencies) P P P P Ref. abovet Recreation Facilities (commercial indoor) P P P P 81 810C Recreation Facilities (commercial outdoor) P Ref. abovet Repair Shops (small scale goods: bicycle, appliance, shoe, computer) P P P P Ref. abovet Restaurants with associated cocktail lounges and sidewalk cafes P P P P P6 Ref. abovet Theaters except adult entertainment P P P 840 Vehicle Rental and Sales (not requiring a commercial DL) P P3 P5 P 70 Veterinary Clinic with temporary indoor boarding and grooming P P P P P Office Professional, Outpatient Medical, Dental, Governmental Services, and Research P P P P P 630 Medical and Dental Laboratories P P P P Lodging Ref. Hotel, Motel, Extended Stay, Bed and above* Breakfasts P P P Civic & Institutional 290 Convention & Exhibition Facilities, including multipurpose arena facilities P P3 P Ref. abovet Cultural Facilities, including: libraries, museums, art galleries, performing arts centers P P P Ref. abovet Daycare Centers P P P P P Ref. abovet Education and Instructional Facilities, public and private including college and universities P P P 82 Ref.abovet Public Community Centers Parks, Trails, Picnic Areas, Playgrounds, and 410 Police and Fire Stations P = Permitted, A = Accessory, C = Conditional, UUP = Unclassified Use Permit For parking requirements see Table 18-5 or Figure 18-7 Business license P P P P P C Regional Center TOD Pond District P P Commercial Work - Center Place Post Office P P P 820E Religious Institutions, greater than 750 sf assembly area C C C C C 820A Religious Institutions, less than 750 sf assembly area P P P P P Industrial, Manufacturing & Warehouse 190 Cargo Containers subject to TMC 18.50.060 A 550 Industrial Commercial Services (e.g. etching, film processing, lithography, printing & publishing) P 83 Ref. abovet Light Industrial: Manufacturing, Processing and Assembling uses that have little potential for creating off -site noise, smoke, dust, vibration or other external impacts or pollution. Manufacturing and processing of food and beverages including fermenting and distilling; with or without a tasting room, provided the tasting room occupies less than 50% of the total area of the building occupied by the tenant but no more than 3500 square feet; and the manufacturing process does not cause off -site impacts to neighboring properties or create a public nuisance. P 990A/B Outdoor storage of materials to be manufactured or handled as part of a permitted use within the Zone, screened pursuantTMC 18.52 A 960 Self -Storage Facilities P Warehouse Storage and Wholesale 1110 Distribution Facilities P Transportation, Communication & Infrastructure 240 Commercial Parking, day use only P P P P P 370 Essential Public Facilities, except those listed separately UUP UUP UUP UUP UUP Intermodal Transit Stations, Rail transit facilities UUP UUP UUP UUP UUP Ref. abovet Internet Data Centers & Telephone Exchanges P 84 7100 Park and Ride Lots UUP UUP UUP UUP 720 Parking Areas A A A A A Public Transit Facilities and Stations (Bus) P P P P P 780 Radio, Television, Microwave, or Observation Stations and Towers C C C C C Ref. abovet Utility Facilities, above ground/ not in ROW C C C C P Ref. abovet Utility Facilities, underground/in ROW P P P P P 1140 Wireless Communication Facilities P7 P7 P7 P7 P7 Residential 320 Dormitories A A Ref. abovet Dwelling: Multi -family, Townhouses, Mixed Use, Senior Citizen Housing P P P P4 510 Home Occupation A A A P4 270 Continuing Care Retirement Community P P t Reference the above general zoning code use matrix for specific business license code. ** See TMC 18.28.260 for District specific parking standards. 1. Minimum interior height for ground level retail of all types is 18 feet from floor to floor plate. Use conversions in existing buildings are not required to meet this standard. 2. New businesses are limited to locations within the Freeway Frontage Corridor. See additional design standards in the Southcenter Design Manual. 3. East of the Green River only. 4. Only on properties fronting the Green River or Minkler Pond. 5. Excludes vehicle storage or maintenance. 85 6. 3,500 sf max per use. 7. Subject to TMC 18.58. 86