The recommended changes include a six-foot maximum height on residential fences and now an eight-foot maximum height on retaining walls before having to terrace, as well as an option to reduce the terracing buffer to 18” (instead of three feet) by using cascading vegetation.

On May 29, the International Residential Code Technical Advisory Group voted 3-2 to advance a proposed amendment to the IRC that would mandate fire sprinklers in all newly constructed townhomes in our state. Your association submitted a comment letter opposing the amendment due to the negative impacts it would have on housing costs.

The now-revised draft director’s rule would have changed a long-standing practice of measuring gross floor area from the inside surface of the exterior wall to measuring from the inside face of the stud, which in some cases would have resulted in a loss of dwelling units.

The city is deeply engaged in conversations to bring more equitable, diverse, and attainable housing product of all types to Kirkland and to provide more missing middle housing through zoning and code changes.

Queen Anne Community Council’s appeal of the City of Seattle’s backyard cottage reform has been dismissed. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was found to be enough and City Council can now move forward on legislation that mirrors the proposed alternatives that were studied.

On May 7, the Kirkland City Council adopted new floor area ratio (FAR) and lot coverage regulations, which will go into effect on July 1, 2019. City staff began working on this issue to address community concerns about new home perceived building mass.

The report, requested by the King County Council, is now due June 2020. The council’s request for the report is driven by a desire to improve public safety, especially during inclement weather, to ensure emergency vehicle access.

Studies show that ADUs are a cost-effective way to increase housing supply. Allowing more ADUs was one of the HALA recommendations nearly four years ago (July 2015), yet because of legal challenges, the council has not been able to act.

On April 24, the Everett City Council unanimously adopted an amendment which adds E-1 MUO, UR, UM, and ULI zones to the New Townhouse Unit Lot Subdivisions Code.

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.

The city has a webpage dedicated to the SMP update, as well as a work program for public review. Comments will be received up to local adoption, tentatively scheduled for September 2019.

The draft final guidance is posted on Ecology’s Streamflow Restoration website and all comments must be submitted through the online comment form by the June 7 deadline.

The Shoreline Management Act requires that each SMP be revised to stay up to date with laws and rules, Comprehensive Plan policies and development regulations, changed circumstances, and improved data.

As part of the Puget Sound Regional Council’s (PSRC) Vision 2040 update, a draft supplemental environmental impact statement (DSEIS) is evaluating three growth alternatives: stay the course, reset urban growth, and transit-focused growth.

Governor Jay Inslee has signed into law HB 1923, a top legislative priority for MBAKS, as it combines pro-housing tools like options for increased urban capacity for housing, grants for positive planning, and more into one measure.

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.

Included in those recommendations are assigning a person responsible for final plats, weekly status meetings, and more.

Your association and interested members are working with the county to improve their processes and structure. Urging the county to conduct regular prioritization of projects and expectations will make up part of our recommendations.

Your association has been communicating with the city of Seattle your frustration about extended wait times for plan reviews and permit approvals. The department will soon be seeking applicants who will be placed throughout SDCI to address the backlog.

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.

AWWD is still working on the draft changes and will be asking for stakeholder comments during the process.

The city hired an outside consultant to analyze state statutes and update the methodology used to calculate the park impact fee (PIF) rates. This practice had not been done since 2001.