Title
Housing Options Code Amendments Planning Commission Recommendation
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Approve the Planning Commission recommendation for Housing Options Code Amendments and forward to Council for consideration.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve the Planning Commission recommendation for Housing Options Code Amendments and forward to Council for consideration.
Report
Issue:
Whether to accept the Planning Commission recommendation on the Housing Options Code Amendments and forward to the full City Council for consideration.
Staff Contact:
Joyce Phillips, Senior Planner, Community Planning & Development, 360.570.3722
Presenter(s):
Joyce Phillips, Senior Planner, Community Planning & Development
Planning Commission Member
Background and Analysis:
The City of Olympia is planning under the Growth Management Act (GMA). This means the City plans for population growth, including where and how that growth will occur. The City is planning for about 20,000 new residents between 2015 and 2035.
Housing to accommodate growth is planned for at various levels of neighborhood density. For example, high rise apartments can locate in high density neighborhoods, 2-3 story apartment buildings and mixed housing types can develop at medium density levels, and traditional single-family housing and a variety of housing types at lower densities can be in low density neighborhoods.
As is required by the GMA, the City is working to ensure there are adequate housing options for people at all income levels. The City plans for housing in all neighborhoods - whether low, medium, or high-density. Most of the new growth will be directed to the areas designated as High-Density Neighborhoods in the Comprehensive Plan, such as in the Downtown where we are seeing new multifamily housing units.
Olympia is growing and there is not enough housing stock needed to accommodate that growth. The City has a 2.4 percent vacancy rate, which mean...
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