King County is exploring options to allow micro-housing as one approach to addressing housing affordability issues and homelessness. To that end the King County Council has been developing two micro housing projects, one aimed at North Highline, near White Center and the other for Vashon Island. King County Comprehensive Plan Workplan Action 6 directed the County to look at different types of housing in an effort to address housing affordability and homelessness through a demonstration project designed to test some alternative housing types.

They have another in a series of public meetings on the proposed ordinance 2020-0032 set for June 9 at 10:30 am with the Metropolitan King County Council, Room 1001, King County Courthouse, Seattle, Washington. The ordinance uses a process established by the King County Council to test modifications to specified development regulations on specific projects. Based on an evaluation of the results of those projects, permanent changes to development regulations may be proposed in the future.

The White Cener portion of the project involves some 375 properties. Vashon involves two properties. For White Center the project area extends from Roxbury Street (City of Seattle city limit) to approximately 108th SW at the southern end and from 19th SW to 12th SW West to East.

• The project in White Center is limited to a maximum of 60 sleeping and dwelling units. The building may be no more than 60 feet in height. The units shall not exceed 220 sq. ft. of floor area.
• The project in Vashon Town is limited to no more than 40 sleeping and dwelling units in no more than five buildings. Except for accessible units, the units shall not exceed 350 sq. ft. of floor area.
• The projects are required to have shared kitchen, living, and laundry facilities.

Permit applicants must include in their applications measures the applicants will take to ensure rents remain affordable, reduce risk of displacing area residents, involve the community in the development, and gather information to assist in evaluating the demonstration project ordinance.

• Permitting Division may waive or alter: drainage standards; road standards; building code; and land use development regulations relating to permitted uses, density and dimensions, design standards, landscaping, parking, and school impact fees. Requests for waiver or modification of standards managed by other County departments are referred to those departments for decision.
• Demonstration projects are reviewed as a Type 2 land use decision, allowing an appeal of the Permitting Division’s decision to the Hearing Examiner.
• The Permitting Division must evaluate the projects to determine the degree to which  they will increase the range of healthy affordable housing, provide housing for low to moderate income

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Proposed Ordinance 2020-0032

 

            NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing will be held before the Metropolitan King County Council on the 9th day of June, 2020 at 1:00 p.m., to consider the adoption of Proposed Ordinance 2020-0032, adopting provisions for a microhousing demonstration project. The public hearing is planned to either be held at the King County Courthouse, 516 3rd Avenue, Room 1001, Seattle, Washington; or the hearing may be required to be held remotely to comply with the Washington State Governor's Declaration 20-29 (or as amended) regarding the Open Public Meetings Act. Information on this public hearing, including how to submit public testimony and attend the meeting, will be posted on the Council's website ahead of the hearing.  To sign up to provide public testimony at the June 9th hearing, a sign-up form will be available beginning on June 3, 2020 at this website: https://www.kingcounty.gov/council/committees/full_council.aspx.

It is expected that the full Council will take action on this Proposed Ordinance at the June 9th meeting following the public testimony.

Proposed Ordinance 2020-0032 would adopt a microhousing demonstration project for 375 properties in the White Center neighborhood of North Highline and two properties in the Vashon Rural Town. The demonstration project will authorize at least two alternative housing options and test their accessibility for populations who are unable to find suitable housing. A report by the Executive that describes and evaluates preliminary results and provides recommended changes that should be made to county processes and development regulations will be transmitted to the Council as part of this demonstration project.

A Striking Amendment S1 to Proposed Ordinance 2020-0032 is proposed that would clarify requirements and standards of the microhousing demonstration project and include changes to match the Executive's intent. A copy of Striking Amendment S1 will be available at the website below.

For More Information:

A copy of Proposed Ordinance 2020-0032 is available at https://mkcclegisearch.kingcounty.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4290016&GUID=F4971AB1-8D3A-4570-92F9-39A3EC643BFB&Options=ID|Text|&Search=2020-0032 or at

https://www.kingcounty.gov/council/clerk/ordinances_advertised.aspx. 

DATED at Seattle, Washington, this 4th day of May, 2020.

METROPOLITAN KING COUNTY COUNCIL

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON

 

Melani Pedroza

Clerk of the Council