MARYSVILLE — The Marysville City Council approved interim middle housing rules on Monday, paving the way to finalize more refined regulations before the end of the year.
The city was required by state law to allow more housing types, such as duplexes, triplexes and townhomes — known as “middle housing” — in most residential areas, including areas previously restricted to only permit single-family homes.
The law, House Bill 1110, required cities to implement middle housing rules by the end of June, otherwise state regulations would take effect by default. Marysville adopted the interim rules to prevent the state’s model code from taking effect.
City staff in Marysville have previously said they are attempting to balance between meeting the state law’s intent and growth charges without adversely impacting a city made up of mostly single-family homes. The interim ordinance lowers the amount of space that buildings and impervious surfaces like pavement can take up on a property, as well as increasing some minimum lot sizes to lower density of new developments.
Staff had also recommended prohibiting single-family developments in higher-density, multi-family zones, as development is falling short of growth projections in some of those areas, a city memo read. If trends continue, there will need to be more significant zoning changes in the future to allow for more growth, according to the memo.
But the council voted to amend the interim ordinance to allow for single-family homes in those zones due to a single-family development that is currently underway in a multi-family zone.
“There might be other sites that have other issues that need to be looked at,” council president Michael Stevens said Monday. “That’s why we’re doing this in the interim, so we can buy the time to do that.”
Marysville needs to allow for 14,000 new housing units by 2044 to meet regional growth targets, according to its most recent comprehensive plan. Allowing middle housing in most residential areas could increase availability to renters and buyers, which experts say could bring down prices and combat the state’s affordability crisis.
Everett adopted its middle housing rules along with its comprehensive plan update last week. Lynnwood also adopted its own middle housing regulations on Monday.
After council approved the interim ordinance, most areas in the city now allow for middle housing construction, apart from a neighborhood of about 200 homes above 88th Street bordered by Quilceda Creek and I-5 that has only one entrance and exit. Members of that neighborhood formed a community group last year in an attempt to block a housing development there, citing access and safety concerns.
The city is set to study other areas of the city which may be exempt from the middle housing requirements, a memo read.
The interim ordinance will be in effect for a maximum of six months. The council expects to approve the final regulations by September or October. A public hearing is expected to take place on July 14.
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.
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