Currently under consideration at the city of Bothell are various changes to grading and retaining structure regulations. The proposal is complex, so if you’re doing business in Bothell you may want to closely review the language. The city is looking for input from developers and builders.

The Bothell City Council recently updated its code to permit accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as part of its ongoing strategy to promote affordable housing.

On October 2, 2018, we took to social media to discuss the benefits of more flexible accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules and various cottage housing ordinances throughout our two-county region.

Multiple MBAKS members weighed in on the Department of Ecology’s Draft Western Washington Municipal Stormwater Manual Update. Our association also coordinated comments with BIAW.

Washington state is one of 22 states that adopted the 2015 Clean Water Act and, as such, must now comply with the executive order. The Seattle District Army Corps of Engineers is offering applicants the opportunity to address questions and concerns that may fall into gray areas.

The Snohomish County Shoreline Management Program (SMP) plan was last updated in 2012 and must be again updated to reflect changes in applicable state shoreline laws and guidelines.

The Snohomish County Department of Planning and Development Services (PDS) has set June 2021 as the target date for adoption of its next buildable lands report. The report is a major piece of the next comprehensive plan update.

This appointment continues our association’s long-time involvement with AHAB, allowing us to engage with key housing stakeholders and lend our voice to the board’s housing policy discussions.

Current estimates show a need for 244,000 additional affordable homes (below 80 percent AMI) in King County by 2040, according to the Regional Affordable Housing Task Force, a group of elected officials that has been meeting since summer 2017.

The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) recently took a deeper look at “missing middle” housing and concluded that townhomes and lower-density multifamily housing are often more affordable than single family homes or high-rise condos.

With more than 220 in attendance, MBAKS Executive Director Kat Sims kicked off the 2018 Housing Solutions Breakfast by unveiling the association’s Action Plan for Housing. These and other ideas discussed at the breakfast are intended to increase housing supply and eliminate unnecessary and costly hurdles to new home construction, without compromising environmental or consumer protections.

n August 9, the Washington State Supreme Court favorably ruled in the matter of Maytown Sand and Gravel v. Thurston County. An unfavorable ruling could have meant that a land use permit applicant would have to file a LUPA appeal on their own project as a prerequisite for a tort claim, even where the property owner was not adversely affected by the land use decision itself.

School impact fees are updated every year after a review by the School Technical Review Committee of the districts’ capital facilities plans. School impact fees in King County apply only to new single-family and multifamily units in unincorporated areas.

On Oct. 16, 2017, the city council adopted Resolution 4318 to reduce development fees applicable to all ADUs by half. The resolution also waived all fees for every third ADU created within a new subdivision of 10 or more lots.

Notable increases include the SF fee in Issaquah School District from $8,762 to $15,276 and the SF fee in Northshore School District from $10,573 to $16,038. The Federal Way School District MF fee has decreased from last year.

Your association has advocated for a phased-in approach where the proposed initial fee increases for the first year are 0.74% and an annual increase of 2.9% for each of the following 3 years.

Projects are exempt if complete application has been submitted or a letter of completeness has been issued prior to January 1, 2019.

The Covington City Council has adopted Kent School District’s updated Capital Facilities Plan and fee schedule for 2019, with an increase of 3.1% in school impact fees.

The first-of-its-kind ordinance is intended to address skyrocketing impact fee rates that have made financing and feasibility for development projects extremely problematic.

Youthworks is a collaboration between Workforce Snohomish, Snohomish STEM, Economic Alliance Snohomish County, Everett Community College, Cocoon House, and WorkSource. Businesses can post job openings immediately.