Public Hearing on Microhousing on Monday

Posted by on Wednesday, May 14, 2014 · Leave a Comment 

Please plan on attending this important hearing on a type of housing that is working well for many people in our city. The City Council needs to hear from people who support microhousing as a crucial part of meeting housing demand in neighborhoods where people want to live the most. I’ll be writing more this week about the specific proposals, but we’ve already weighed in on this same set of proposals over the last year. Microhousing needs fewer hurdles not more.
City Council Public Hearing on the Proposed Micro-Housing Regulations

When: Monday, May 19, 2014, 5:30 – 6:30pm

Location: City Council Chambers, Seattle City Hall, Floor 2, 600 Fourth Avenue, SeattleWebsiteMicro-HousingEvent ContactGeoffrey WentlandtEvent Contact Emailgeoffrey.wentlandt@seattle.govEvent Contact Phone206-684-3586  What

The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) is proposing to amend the Land Use Code (Title 23 of the Seattle Municipal Code) to adopt new regulations for micro-housing and congregate residences.  The proposal is found under Council Bill 118067.  The ordinance would make the following changes to the Land Use Code:

  • Establish definitions for “micro-housing unit” and “micro”
  • Prohibit micro-housing development in single-family zones
  • Apply design review thresholds for micro-housing and congregate residences that are triggered by a building’s size (square feet of gross floor area) rather than the number of dwelling units it contains
  • Establish minimum size requirements for shared kitchens and common areas in micro-housing and congregate residence projects
  • Limit the permitted kitchen components in individual micros and congregate residence sleeping rooms in order to more clearly differentiate them from dwelling units
  • Provide the DPD Director with the discretion to increase the amount of solid waste storage space required for residential structures that include micro-housing units on a project-by-project basis;
  • Establish new vehicle and bicycle parking requirements for micro-housing and congregate residence projects;
  • Deepen the required affordability levels for micros, sleeping rooms, and very small studio apartments located in residential buildings that participate in the City’s incentive zoning program
  • Apply green factor landscaping requirements to micro-housing and congregate residence projects

The City Council will hold a public hearing to take comments on the proposal on Monday, May 19, 2014, in City Council Chambers, Seattle City Hall, 600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 2.  The hearing is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.  The entrances to City Hall are located on the west side of Fifth Avenue and the east side of Fourth Avenue, between James and Cherry Streets.  For those who wish to testify, a sign-up sheet will be available outside Council Chambers at 5:00 p.m. on the day of the hearing.

Questions concerning the public hearing may be directed to Esther Handy in Councilmember O’Brien’s office at 206.684.5323 or esther.handy@seattle.gov.

Council Chambers are accessible.  Directions to City Hall, and information about transit access and parking, are available atwww.seattle.gov/council/city_hall_parking.pdf.  Print and communications access is provided on prior request.  To request accommodations for a disability, please contact Esther Handy as soon as possible at 206.684.5323 or esther.handy@seattle.gov.

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