Title
Briefing: Housing Type Mix in Multi-family Housing Projects
Body
Issue: Briefing regarding proposed code amendment to implement pending Comprehensive Plan Amendment reducing threshold from ten to five acres for requiring mix of housing types in apartment projects.
Staff Contact:
Todd Stamm, Principal Planner, tstamm@ci.olympia.wa.us
Presenter(s):
Todd Stamm
Background and Analysis:
Olympia's Comprehensive Plan and implementing regulations require a mix of housing types in many cases. Master planned "village" projects must include a commercial component and a variety of housing. Housing developments in 'mixed residential' zones must include a mix of housing types. And as described below, many apartment projects exceeding five acres must include a variety of housing types. However, for a few apartment projects in certain zoning districts, the threshold for requiring a mix of housing is ten acres.
The draft Comprehensive Plan update as recommended by the Planning Commission and staff and now being reviewed by the City Council includes a policy that would reduce this ten-acre threshold to five acres. Specifically, proposed Land Use and Design Policy 16.12 reads: "Require a mix of single-family and multi-family structures in villages, mixed residential density districts, and apartment projects when these exceed five acres; and use a variety of housing types and setbacks to transition to adjacent single-family areas." [Emphasis added.]
The Growth Management Act and Revised Code of Washington 36.70A.040, in particular, require that Olympia adopt "development regulations that are consistent with and implement the comprehensive plan." The amendment proposed below would ensure that, if adopted, the regulation conforms with the policy change described above. Specifically, Olympia Municipal Code 18.04.060(N) is proposed to be amended as follows:
LARGE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING PROJECTS.
To ensure that large multifamily housing projects pro...
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