Advocacy Update: Regional Housing Changes in Motion
Pictured: ADU by CAST Architecture
Across AIA Seattle’s ten-county region, new policies are shifting the landscape for housing, parking, and neighborhood growth.
On Tuesday, July 8, Bothell City Council voted to fully eliminate mandated off-street parking in order to reduce costs for homebuilding – a first for any city in King or Snohomish County. City Council also voted for the full legalization of neighborhood corner stores and cafes throughout the city.
On the following Tuesday, July 15, Sammamish City Council voted to advance full analysis of a higher ceiling on the housing capacity in the Town Center – a move to create a more walkable and vibrant urban core.
In Seattle, recent approved legislation allows for expanded housing options by easing barriers to construction and use of accessory dwelling units (ADUs), with a separate piece of legislation prohibiting the use of algorithmic rent fixing – an effort to address affordability concerns.
These overhauls of land use regulations and codes are moves to advance walkability and accessibility for residents. Read more below:
- Bothell Leads on Parking Reform – First in King County to eliminate parking mandates and legalize corner stores citywide.
- Sammamish Eyes More Housing – Council moves forward with a study to expand Town Center capacity to 4,000 units.
- Seattle ADU Reforms Now in Effect – New rules allow up to two ADUs on single-family lots, with permanent legislation coming.
- Seattle Bans Rent-Setting Software – City bans algorithmic rent pricing over affordability concerns.
