On February 8, Snohomish County Planning and Development Services (PDS) implemented administrative procedures to accept opt-in requests for their revised grading regulations related to the 2-foot rule.

On January 22, the Snohomish County Planning Commission was briefed on a series of potential code amendments related to the appeals process, decision type consolidation, site plan process changes, and more.

Your association recently met with Snohomish County staff to discuss the county’s code writing project, which will update certain Planned Residential Development (PRD) and Lot Size Averaging provisions, which in some cases could result in greater lot yield.

The Snohomish County Council has adopted ordinance 18-106 related to ground disturbing activities that eliminates the problematic two-foot rule. Included in the measure is an opt-in provision that allows existing applicants to take advantage of the new code.

The program will go into effect January 1, 2019, and MBAKS will advocate for making it permanent.

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.

MBAKS is continuing to actively seek meetings with Commissioners to redraft and amend the Kirkland Zoning Code, Chapter 95, Tree Ordinance, after our proposals were excluded from the city's recent draft ordinance.

The King County Flood Control District is preparing a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Lower Green River Corridor Flood Hazard Management Plan.

Federal Way has announced it will initiate work to review and update its Shoreline Master Program (SMP), as required by the Washington State Shoreline Management Act.

The state legislature continues to hear and act on bills in advance of the February 22 committee cutoff date. Most committees have only one or two remaining meetings to act on pending legislation.

MBAKS Executive Director Kat Sims was selected to join Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan's newly formed Affordable Middle-Income Housing Advisory Council what will identify tools to create more for-rent and for-sale homes that are affordable to Seattle’s middle-income wage earners.

The Seattle Times has published a guest editorial by MBAKS Executive Director Kat Sims, advocating for bold solutions to solve the region’s housing shortage. The op-ed calls for action on some of the key items on MBAKS’ legislative agenda.

The Final Report includes a five-year action plan that sets a countywide goal of producing 44,000 homes affordable to people earning 50 percent of Area Median Income (AMI) and below by 2024.

The North Bend Planning Commission is beginning study sessions (see pages 93–111) to consider the possibility of adopting a medium density housing zone to fill the needs of workforce or missing middle housing.

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.

Snohomish County’s pre-application EDDS deviation submittal process is now accepting requests for such deviations following the required 30.66B pre-submittal conference. Currently this is a 6-month pilot project that we hope becomes permanent.

The agency stated that they hope to have worked through their project backlog by this summer. They also encouraged applicants to set up pre-submittal meeting with their staff.

Alderwood Water and Wastewater District has updated information and application forms to reflect recent GFC and fee updates. Updates include availability, fire flow, AWWD general notes, developer extension application, and new easement forms.

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.

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has started a stakeholder outreach process to collect feedback on proposed changes that could have a major impact on homebuilding in the city, increasing costs for homebuilders and homebuyers.

The Snohomish County Council has unanimously voted to adopt an ordinance that vests park impact fees at the point of complete application. Review the complete ordinance, as well as the amendment related to vesting.

The Puget Sound region is booming. Now more than ever, we need people to enter the skilled trades to build the housing, commercial space, infrastructure, and transportation projects necessary to accommodate our growing community.