EVERETT — The Snohomish County Council unanimously approved an ordinance on March 19 to allow the construction of more accessory dwelling units in unincorporated areas.
In the works for four years, the ordinance will amend county code to allow accessory dwelling units on urban properties with duplexes while increasing maximum lot coverage percentages. Previously, accessory units were only allowed on properties with single-family homes. The new ordinance also reduces the required setbacks from public and private rights of way.
Accessory dwelling units are small, independent residential units that sit on the same lot as another home. They can be attached or detached from the existing unit and are typically more affordable than other types of housing.
These changes, some mandated by a 2023 state law and others added at the county’s discretion, will incentivize the construction of more accessory units, said Megan Dunn, the Snohomish County Council member who introduced the ordinance.
“I think it’ll also offer another tool in the toolbox,” Dunn said in an interview Tuesday. “People can stay in their homes, age in their homes, and we can have housing at every part of a person’s lifestyle. If you’re a first-time homebuyer and you want to buy or built, maybe you would be purchasing an ADU. If you want to stay in your home, maybe you’re building one and selling that property.”
About 367,700 people live in Snohomish County’s unincorporated areas, census data shows. Pierce County is the only county in Washington which has more people living on unincorporated land.
The ordinance also aligns with state law by prohibiting the county from blocking the sale of accessory dwelling units as condominiums. Dunn hopes that change can increase opportunities for home ownership.
“We want to see housing opportunities for people at all stages of their life and for people to stay in their home,” Dunn said. “This will offer more opportunity on both ends of that spectrum.”
Building more housing at all price points is key to increasing affordability, experts say. More than two-thirds of workers in Snohomish County don’t earn enough on their own to rent the average apartment without spending more than a third of their income on housing, according to data from the Alliance for Housing Affordability, a local research group. Between 2013 and 2023, rents in the county increased 71% after adjusting for inflation.
Allowing more housing units to be built could be a move toward solving the state’s ongoing housing crisis.
“These proposed changes align with the Growth Management Act, they support housing affordability and promote sustainable land use policies that benefit all of the residents of Snohomish County,” said Natalie Reber, who works with the Masters Builders Association, at a March 19 public hearing. “We believe this is an important first step toward making middle housing a reality.”
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.
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