The city of Seattle has released the draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for accessory dwelling units (ADUs). If you’re interested in commenting, there are several ways.

This week, the Snohomish County Council adopted a revised version of Ordinance 18-026 that allows for very high multifamily density with the use of Transfer Development Rights (TDR) credits.

The Seattle City Council has approved an ordinance making significant amendments to parking requirements, the definition of “frequent transit service,” and off-street parking, to name a few. The controversial legislation passed 7-1, with Councilmember Lisa Herbold voting no.

On March 27, 2018, legislation was signed into law that will result in significant changes to the law governing Common Interest Communities (CICs) and paperwork requirements for homebuilders. The new law takes effect July 1. It is important that members review the documents that will be used after July 1, 2018.

On March 27, Lake Stevens City Council passed language improving a previously limited model home ordinance.

The Snohomish County Council has passed ordinance 17-061, making changes to pedestrian facility code. Your association and interested members worked hard over the course of several months to make sure it didn’t negatively impact projects.

This week, the Snohomish County Council unanimously adopted ordinance 18-018, making positive changes to final lift provisions. The measure allows for deferred installation of private road improvements.

On Monday, March 5, the Auburn City Council unanimously adopted ordinance 6672, allowing private irrigation systems in the public right-of-way. This ordinance was drafted in response to member concerns related to the ongoing maintenance of the plantings and landscape strips in the public ROW.

After months of engaging with King County staff and elected officials on the problematic C&D waste diversion ordinance, the county has put it on hold.

This week, your association hosted a second meeting with staff from King County to discuss its draft C&D Waste Diversion proposal that would add a layer of reporting at the end of projects, prior to final inspection, to ensure compliance with King County’s adopted waste diversion requirements.

The city of Mercer Island is in the process of exploring several ways to incentivize Built Green® development in its Land Development Code. This will be a collaborative process in which MBAKS is willing to lend guidance, along with boots-on-the-ground expertise of Built Green builders.

The 2014 Wetland Buffer Rating Scale adopted by the Department of Ecology and implemented by many local jurisdictions in King and Snohomish counties has resulted in unintended buffer increases and fewer buildable lots within urban growth areas.

Lyman Howard, Sammamish city manager, is moving forward with the development of both a Transportation Management Plan and a Housing Strategy Plan as the city council focuses simultaneously on traffic concurrency.

The City of Granite Falls recently adopted a six-month sewer moratorium to allow for design to accommodate additional capacity. A Washington state grant has been received to help with those efforts.

The King County Council’s Planning, Rural Service, and Environment Committee (PRE), chaired by Councilmember Kathy Lambert, was briefed on King County Executive Constantine’s proposed 2018 update to the 2016 King County Comprehensive Plan (ordinance 2018-0153).

MBAKS Executive Director Kat Sims and Russell Hokanson, chief executive officer of the Seattle King County REALTORS, collaborated on an op-ed about the Vision 2050 process calling for a revised growth allocation process that is more accurate and reflects actual growth patterns.

The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) is undertaking a two-year process to update to Vision 2040 (called Vision 2050), which will help guide region-wide planning in the four counties for years to come. Your association is already engaged in the process.

The Sammamish City Council adopted a resolution directing staff to begin work on a traffic concurrency model focusing on the level of service (LOS) of intersections.

With the 2018 state legislative session now adjourned, you can read our final legislative update for the fate of proposed bills, likely initiatives to come forward this year, and, finally, a look ahead to next year.

On Monday, June 4, the Renton City Council voted to impose an emergency moratorium on townhome development in the Commercial Arterial (CA) zone. The CA zone currently allows for a variety of retail sales, services, and other commercial activities, including residential uses through mixed-use building and townhome development.

Snohomish County will soon allow land use applicants to make deviation requests before their application submittals. The common-sense measure will create much more certainty for members and expedite permit processing.

At the May Residential Builders Council meeting, a question came up related to the implementation of the recently adopted ordinance allowing administrative approval of final plats in King County. After internal discussion, King County staff came back with good news.

The City of Issaquah lifted the last portion of a development moratorium on May 21, 2018, in its Central District.

On Monday, April 16, the King County Council voted unanimously to adopt Ordinance 2017-0436, allowing for administrative approval of final plats. This measure will bring greater predictability and efficiency to the permit process by reducing unnecessary delays at final plat approval.

This week, Snohomish Health District Administrator Jeff Ketchel and his staff detailed the District’s new online portal at MBAKS’s monthly DBIC meeting.

The North Bend City Council lifted the development moratorium on cottage housing at their March 6, 2018 council meeting after adopting new code regulations for cottage housing.

On Monday, the Maple Valley City Council voted to adopt an ordinance to allow for administrative approval of final long plats, with an effective date of March 28.

The Sammamish City Council extended the development moratorium at a public hearing on March 6, 2018. The moratorium was set to expire on April 2.

The North Bend City Council has adopted an increase in “Capital Facilities Charges” (CFC) stormwater fees, from $870 to $2,526 per “Equivalent Service Unit” (ESU) with an annual increase or decrease on January 1 of each year.

On Monday, June 4, Alderwood Water & Wastewater District (AWWD) Commissioners adopted staff-proposed flat rate increases. Your association worked with staff to amend the previously proposed, significantly higher 1” fee.

On Tuesday June 5, the Kent City Council voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance to cap the collection of school fees at $8,229 for single family and $8,386 for multifamily.

At a recent Alderwood Water & Wastewater District (AWWD) Board of Commissioner’s meeting, staff recommended adoption of a flat 1” rate for all residential connections of $2,892, a savings of $4,339 per connection.

Public Works Director Boyd Benson proposed at the April 17 city council hearing that the city approve a resolution authorizing the traffic impact fee to be adjusted by using a three-year rolling average of the Engineering News-Record Construction Cost Index.

MBAKS submitted a letter to the Seattle City Council and Mayor Durkan asking them to oppose the so-called Employee Hours Tax, more often referred to as a “head tax.”

For those building homes within the Snohomish County side of the Northshore School District, you are reminded that the current $7,000 cap on school impact fees expires March 31. Beginning April 1, the fee will increase to $10,563 for single family homes.

This week, the Snohomish County Council unanimously killed its own credit card fee surcharge ordinance. The measure would have tacked on 2.5% to permits and other fees paid by builders and others.

The Snohomish County Council has introduced proposed ordinance 18-036, a first-of-its-kind measure that would vest school impact fees for five years from time of complete application. This is your association’s top Snohomish County legislative priority for 2018.

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.

This week, Everett School District held a career and technical education (CTE) industry panel to inform other industry and school staff of the need for expansion of our current skilled trades workforce. Your association and the general industry were well-represented.