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Record of Proceedings

Shoreline Planning Commission Discusses Middle Housing Tiers and Alternative Compliance – May 16, 2024

Planning Commission — Thursday, May 16, 2024

BodyShoreline, Washington

SessionPlanning Commission

DateThursday, May 16, 2024

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:15:56

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:01

Vice Chair Brinson.

0:03

Here.

0:04

Commissioner Kay.

0:06

Here.

0:07

Commissioner Fry.

0:09

Here.

0:10

Commissioner Lin.

0:12

Present.

0:13

Chair Mosier.

0:15

Here.

0:15

Commissioner Povey.

0:18

Thank you.

0:18

Commissioner Hadley is absent with excuse.

0:21

Or yes.

0:23

Excellent.

0:24

Next be approval of the agenda.

0:26

Any changes to the agenda?

0:29

No.

0:30

Super.

0:31

Next be approval of our minutes from April 18th.

0:34

Any comments?

0:38

No.

0:38

Super.

0:39

It brings us to public comment.

0:41

Folksman, do we have anybody signed up?

0:44

Yes.

0:45

We do.

0:46

We have Jonathan Lowndes and Jonathan, you are unmuted.

0:58

Good evening, Commissioners.

1:00

My name is Jonathan Lowndes with the Master Builders Association of King and Stohomish Counties.

1:05

I wanted to take this opportunity to express our strong support for developing regulations aligned with Tier 1 cities under House Bill 1110.

1:15

Adopting Tier 1 regulations will significantly increase housing capacity in Shoreline, addressing both immediate and future demands.

1:28

By pursuing regulations in compliance with Tier 1 City Shoreline will position itself as a regional leader in addressing the housing crisis.

1:35

Additionally, MBAC supports the adoption of form-based code, which will foster a more inclusive community by eliminating restrictive zoning.

1:43

Thank you for your work on this issue and careful consideration of our perspective.

1:51

Thank you.

1:52

That brings us to our main topic tonight, the middle housing.

2:00

It was a longer title than it is.

2:01

It is a longer title.

2:04

Good evening, uh Commissioners.

2:06

Happy to be here today to present on the topic of middle housing.

2:12

Joined uh this evening by Emily Larson, she's one of our consultants with OTAC, who is helping us on our update to our comprehensive plan as well as the middle housing ordinance.

2:23

Uh, and then of course Steve and myself.

2:26

And uh just a preview of what we've got in store for you this evening.

2:32

As you well know, we are working on updating our comprehensive plan.

2:36

And along with that come a number of development code amendments.

2:40

So we're just going to give a very high-level preview of what's on the horizon, uh, not really getting into too many of the details.

2:47

Um then we will shift our focus to the topic of middle housing specifically, uh, taking a look at the concept of pursuing uh tier one or tier two compliance with the middle housing bill, and interested to get commission's perspective on that this evening, and then also discussing uh the alternative compliance options with middle housing, which um Emily is going to speak to specifically uh and is uh here today to speak on that.

3:17

So first up, Steve.

3:22

And um this is just kind of a uh intro to um what we're thinking about going forward with development code amendments to accommodate uh form base or uh middle housing in the future.

3:37

So um form-based, so staff is has done some research about um other jurisdictions that have done some form-based residential codes, kind of using that as a starting point.

3:51

So what and what the form base really means is you know, looking more at the building form, um the dwelling types, regulating that based on height and site design, lot coverage, um, and not using a density-based system, which we currently have.

4:09

Um with that will come new zoning classifications as well as new comprehensive plan, land use designations, um, which will in turn uh totally change our zoning map going forward.

4:26

So um we can look at that on the next slide, but we'll kind of give you an overview of of the map and um part of the development code amendments will also look at uh those neighborhoods supporting um uh businesses, more commercial, allowing more uses within some of the residential neighborhoods.

4:48

Um we heard loud and clear that that people want kind of more of a connected um complete community.

5:03

And then also looking at updating the ADU rules based on state law 1337.

5:14

Also considering the racially desperate impacts and looking at critical areas, which are all things that could shape the zoning map going forward.

5:34

And then let's go.

5:36

So this is current um current zoning map.

5:40

Of course, we're looking at the light, the light and the lighter yellow areas being R4 and R6.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Housing Affordability█████████████████████████████████████████████46%

Land Use Planning███████████████████19%

Affordable Housing███████████████15%

Racial Equity████████8%

HOA Regulation████4%

Public Transportation██2%

Environmental Protection██2%

Tree Preservation██2%

Accessory Dwelling Units██2%

Summary of Proceedings

Shoreline Planning Commission Regular Meeting – May 16, 2024

The Shoreline Planning Commission met on May 16, 2024, to discuss development code amendments related to middle housing (House Bill 1110), including whether to adopt Tier 1 or Tier 2 standards and how to apply alternative compliance options. Commissioners expressed divergent views on the appropriate tier, with a majority favoring Tier 1 to proactively address housing needs. No final decision was made; staff will conduct further analysis and return with recommendations.

Consent Calendar

Approved the agenda as presented.
Approved the minutes of April 18, 2024, as presented.

Public Comments & Testimony

Jonathan Lounds, Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties: Expressed strong support for developing regulations aligned with Tier 1 cities under House Bill 1110, stating it will significantly increase housing capacity in Shoreline and position the city as a regional leader. Also supported form-based codes to eliminate restrictive zoning.

Discussion Items

Study Item: Code Updates and Middle Housing Alternative Compliance

Senior Planner Steve Szafran and Planning Manager Elise Keim presented an overview of upcoming Development Code Amendments, including form-based codes, new zoning classifications, neighborhood-serving businesses, ADU updates, racially disparate impacts, and critical areas.
Planning Manager Keim explained that Shoreline (population 61,120) is currently a Tier 2 city under the Middle Housing Bill (cities 25,000–74,999). Tier 2 requires two dwelling units per lot citywide, four near transit or with affordable units. Tier 1 would require four units per lot, six near transit or with affordable units. Staff requested feedback on whether to pursue Tier 1 proactively, given the city may reach the 75,000 threshold in 12–18 years (based on 1.2%–1.8% annual growth).
Emily Larson from Otak reviewed alternative compliance options: risk of displacement (temporary exemption), critical areas/environmental hazards (permanent exemption), infrastructure capacity, airport proximity (not applicable), and sea-level rise/flooding/wildfire/geologic hazards. Exemptions are capped at 25% of eligible lots. Initial analysis focused on displacement risk, critical areas, and environmental hazards.
Commissioners discussed the trade-offs:
- Commissioner Lin questioned whether Tier 1 with exemptions would make it harder to meet housing targets; Keim clarified it is about allowed units, not required units, and critical areas regulations remain.
- Commissioner Cabe asked if Tier 1 could be applied in some areas and Tier 2 in others; Keim noted the bill sets minimums – the city can exceed but not fall below Tier 2.
- Commissioner Povick supported Tier 2, citing need for infrastructure and community values like tree preservation.
- Commissioner Fry favored Tier 1 to address the housing crisis proactively, noting the upcoming threshold.
- Vice Chair Brinson supported Tier 1 for proactive planning and offering more housing choices; agreed gradual implementation and developer certainty.
- Chair Mosier supported Tier 1, noting large HOA-governed areas reduce buildable land, making Tier 1 more important; form-based codes can compensate.
- Commissioner Cabe agreed with Tier 1 to increase affordability but suggested if Tier 2 is chosen, identify areas for higher density.
- Commissioner Lin supported Tier 2 for organic growth, preserving Shoreline's character and tree canopy.
On alternative compliance, commissioners requested:
- Overlay maps of exclusions (critical areas, displacement risk, racial covenants) for clarity.
- Analysis of lots subject to HOA restrictions (large known HOAs and plat restrictions).
- More information on displacement – definitions, scenarios, and potential anti-displacement policies (e.g., right-to-return, relocation fees) – to inform decisions.
Chair Mosier also requested visual examples of development standards for different densities.

Key Outcomes

No formal decision was made on whether to pursue Tier 1 or Tier 2; staff will incorporate feedback and conduct additional analysis.
Staff will overlay maps of alternative compliance criteria, analyze HOA-restricted lots, and explore anti-displacement strategies.
The Commission will receive an update on the analysis and a recommendation at a future meeting (likely within the next couple of months).
The next regular meeting is scheduled for June 6, 2024, with discussion of land use, housing, and economic development elements.

Meeting Transcript

Vice Chair Brinson. Here. Commissioner Kay. Here. Commissioner Fry. Here. Commissioner Lin. Present. Chair Mosier. Here. Commissioner Povey. Thank you. Commissioner Hadley is absent with excuse. Or yes. Excellent. Next be approval of the agenda. Any changes to the agenda? No. Super. Next be approval of our minutes from April 18th. Any comments? No. Super. It brings us to public comment. Folksman, do we have anybody signed up? Yes. We do. We have Jonathan Lowndes and Jonathan, you are unmuted. Good evening, Commissioners. My name is Jonathan Lowndes with the Master Builders Association of King and Stohomish Counties. I wanted to take this opportunity to express our strong support for developing regulations aligned with Tier 1 cities under House Bill 1110. Adopting Tier 1 regulations will significantly increase housing capacity in Shoreline, addressing both immediate and future demands. By pursuing regulations in compliance with Tier 1 City Shoreline will position itself as a regional leader in addressing the housing crisis. Additionally, MBAC supports the adoption of form-based code, which will foster a more inclusive community by eliminating restrictive zoning. Thank you for your work on this issue and careful consideration of our perspective. Thank you. That brings us to our main topic tonight, the middle housing. It was a longer title than it is. It is a longer title. Good evening, uh Commissioners. Happy to be here today to present on the topic of middle housing. Joined uh this evening by Emily Larson, she's one of our consultants with OTAC, who is helping us on our update to our comprehensive plan as well as the middle housing ordinance. Uh, and then of course Steve and myself. And uh just a preview of what we've got in store for you this evening. As you well know, we are working on updating our comprehensive plan. And along with that come a number of development code amendments. So we're just going to give a very high-level preview of what's on the horizon, uh, not really getting into too many of the details. Um then we will shift our focus to the topic of middle housing specifically, uh, taking a look at the concept of pursuing uh tier one or tier two compliance with the middle housing bill, and interested to get commission's perspective on that this evening, and then also discussing uh the alternative compliance options with middle housing, which um Emily is going to speak to specifically uh and is uh here today to speak on that. So first up, Steve. And um this is just kind of a uh intro to um what we're thinking about going forward with development code amendments to accommodate uh form base or uh middle housing in the future.

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