Title
Housing Options Code Amendments - Recommendation
Recommended Action
Move to approve the recommendation to amend Title 18 of the Olympia Municipal Code (OMC) to modify and add standards for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), duplexes, triplexes, and Courtyard Apartments and forward the Commission's recommendation to Council for consideration.
Report
Issue:
Whether to recommend the City Council adopt amendments to Title 18 of the Olympia Municipal Code regarding Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), duplexes, triplexes, and Courtyard Apartments.
Staff Contact:
Joyce Phillips, Senior Planner, Community Planning and Development, 360.570.3722
Presenter(s):
Joyce Phillips, Senior Planner, Community Planning and Development
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, 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 means for every 100 housing units in our City, less than three are availabl...
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