Shoreline Planning Commission Meeting – April 6, 2023

The Shoreline Planning Commission met on April 6, 2023, with all seven commissioners present. After roll call, the agenda was approved without change; no general public comment was offered. The agenda included a public hearing on cottage housing development code amendments, a study session on a transfer of development rights (TDR) program, and the annual election of chair and vice chair. The commission unanimously recommended the cottage housing amendments to City Council, deferred action on TDR, and re-elected its leadership.

Cottage Housing Public Hearing

• Staff reported that cottage housing was identified by City Council as the first priority for implementation of the Housing Action Plan adopted in May 2021, and that a Washington State Department of Commerce grant supported preparation of the code amendments.
• Public engagement in summer 2022 included an online survey with 325 responses, a survey of existing cottage residents with 11 responses, focus groups, and a virtual open house. Themes included tree preservation, sustainability, affordability, accessibility with an emphasis on single-level living, and walkability.
• Draft code highlights: cottage housing would be permitted in R4, R6, R8, and R12 zones; units would be 700 to 1,500 sq ft with a 22-foot height limit; common and private open space would be required; a density bonus would allow up to double the underlying zone density based on green building, transit proximity, and affordability; and the fee-in-lieu option would sunset once the city establishes an affordable ownership program.
• Staff recommended forwarding the draft code to City Council. Commissioner Brinson asked about stewardship of future affordable ownership units; staff responded that the ownership program does not yet exist and would need to include mechanisms such as deed restrictions or a contracted administrator so the burden would not fall on individual owners.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Suzanne Swing, a Shoreline resident and Save Shoreline Trees board member, applauded staff work on the amendments but urged the commission to increase tree retention percentage requirements in residential zones before the state middle housing bill, HB 11, then in the Senate took effect.
• Kathleen Russell, a Shoreline resident speaking for Save Shoreline Trees, said cottage housing regulations would likely be followed by middle housing and would affect about 80% of property in Shoreline. She cited the municipal code allowing tree removal in MUR70 zones and six other development zones, and described current residential tree rules permitting exempt removal of three trees per 7,200 sq ft plus one per additional 7,200 sq ft, with 25% retention required (30% on critical areas), meaning up to 75% of trees on non-critical areas could be removed. She asked the commission to revise the tree code to retain more trees in residential and cottage housing zones.
• No other in-person or remote speakers testified; the clerk noted that two written public comments had been received.

Study Item: Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) Program

• Staff described the proposed TDR program as development code amendments creating incentives for purchasing development rights to advance climate goals and provide the city with funding. The proposed geographic focus areas A, B, and C were the Ballinger commercial area, the Aurora corridor including the 185th Street and 145th Street station subareas, and the Richmond Beach commercial area, with eligible zones including R48, neighborhood business, community business, and MUR70.
• Proposed height incentives: R48 from 35 to 75 ft; neighborhood business from 50 to 70 ft; community business from 60 to 70 ft; and MUR70 potentially to 140 ft. Proposed parking reductions applied to MUR45 and MUR70 zones near light rail, for example a King County farmland credit could reduce parking by 1.75 spaces. Staff noted TDR credit costs and square footage vary by county, with King County credits more expensive but yielding more square footage.
• Staff reviewed existing incentives, including deep green parking and height bonuses, transit proximity parking reductions, MUR70 tree retention height bonuses, and a community business ground-floor commercial height incentive. Staff asked whether TDR incentives should be additive or alternatives, and recommended the proposed TDR amendments for farm and forest land protection and climate goals.
• Commissioner Galusca said she was generally not in favor of the TDR program as described: it would add cost to development while transferring money to rural property owners, King County could regulate its own land, and the payments would not mitigate the impacts of added height/density or parking reductions. She suggested reviewing the accumulated incentives during the comprehensive plan update.
• Commissioner Mosier questioned the added complexity and asked whether lower-intensity R6 areas within the study boundaries should be considered; staff responded the program is prescribed by area and zone and tied to L-CLIP constraints. Commissioner Mosier also said developers had indicated they would not build beyond about 70 feet and that parking reductions are uncertain because people may not give up cars.
• Commissioner Brinson asked about fiscal impact. Staff estimated the 20-year L-CLIP program could bring Shoreline between $10 million and $20 million, useful for maintenance but not large capital projects.
• The vice chair requested three-dimensional visuals or mock-ups of how the city would look if the incentives were used, and asked whether L-CLIP dollars could serve as local match for federal grants; staff said yes. Commissioner Lin said the commission needs a big-picture vision of the future skyline rather than focusing on complicated calculations.
• Commission consensus was that it was not ready for a public hearing. Staff agreed to return with maps, visuals, and further discussion, with no deadline.

Key Outcomes

• Commissioner Callahan moved, and the motion was seconded, to recommend City Council approve the cottage housing development code amendments as written in Attachment A dated April 6, 2023, and to forward that recommendation. The motion passed 7–0 by roll call, and the public hearing was closed.
• The TDR hearing was deferred; staff will bring back additional visuals and information.
• Chair Sager was re-elected as chair by a unanimous vote, and the vice chair was re-elected by a unanimous vote.
• The April 20, 2023 meeting will include a briefing on the Parks, Recreation, Open Space, and Arts (PROSA) Plan and Element.