Lowrise Zoning Regulations Revised/New Administrative Design Review Process

On December 13, the City Council approved the first major revisions for lowrise zoning regulations since the late 1980s. The changes include a new streamlined administrative design review process for townhouses. Some changes, such as a new height measurement technique apply to other zones in addition to multifamily.

The highlights of the new changes include:

• Reduce the number of zones from five to three (LR1, LR2, LR3) for code simplicity;
• Encourage a diversity of housing types among townhomes, rowhouses, cottages, apartments, and auto-court townhomes;
• Require new design features. For example: At least 20 percent of street facing façades must be windows and doors, building materials must be varied, townhouse parking garages must be designed to fit large cars;
• Provide incentives for "green building" and hiding parking underground or at the back of the lot;
• Use the City's "Green Factor" landscaping requirement, which promotes keeping trees or planting new ones;
• Change the lowrise height limits to match the height limit for single-family zones in most cases;
• Allow for shared open space, for larger usable common areas;
• Waive parking requirements for projects in growth areas and within .25 mile of frequent transit service (15 minute headways), allowing the market to dictate the level of parking to provide;
• Waive density limits for certain housing types when good design features are achieved;
• Use a new flexible standard of measuring floor space, "Floor Area Ratio," rather than previously restrictive setback and lot coverage requirements; and
• Streamlined Design Review will be required for townhouses with three or more units, but not for rowhouses, cottages or apartments in multifamily zones.

Most of the new regulations will go into effect on April 19, 2011. 

Housing Types Encouraged by the New Zoning

	Cottage Housing Individual cottage house structures are arranged around a common open space. 950 SF is the maximum size allowed for each cottage.
	Rowhouse Rowhouses are attached side by side along common walls. Each rowhouse directly faces the street with no other principal housing units behind the rowhouses. Rowhouses occupy the space from the ground to the roof. Units can not be stacked.*Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) may be included in these housing types.
	Townhouse Townhouses are attached along common walls. Townhouses occupy the space from the ground to the roof. Units can not be stacked. Principal townhouse units may be located behind other townhouses units as seen from the street.*Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) may be included in these housing types.
	Apartments Multifamily housing that is not cottage housing, rowhouses, or townhousesis considered apartments. Apartment units may be stacked.

Approved Ordinance 123495

Table of Contents Ordinance 123495 Reading Aid

Ordinance 123495 Reading Aid

Council Multifamily webpage

Lowrise Multifamily Zoning Chart

Summary Comparison of Old and New Lowrise Code 

Recent History

The City Council’s Committee on the Built Environment’s Proposal for New Lowrise Multifamily Zoning is Available for Public Review

The proposed legislation would amend the Land Use Code, Seattle’s policies pursuant to the Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and Tree Regulations to update lowrise zoning and other provisions as summarized by the following:

1. Consolidate five lowrise zones (LDT, L1, L2, L3 and L4) into three (LR1, LR2 and LR3);
2. Allow a height limit of 30’ for most housing types and 40’ for apartments in certain designated growth areas (such as urban centers, urban villages, and light rail station areas), with varying allowances for additional height for pitched roofs and, in some situations, a partially below grade floor;
3. Apply updated development standards based on housing types (such as townhouses and rowhouses) including:
   • flexible standards -- setbacks, floor area ratio (FAR) and width and depth limits; 
   • density limits -- based on housing type, design features and location in or out of growth areas;
   • transitions --  restrictions on additions to height limits for lowrise zoned lots abutting single family zoned lots;
4. Improve the appearance and function of new development with new design standards;
5. Eliminate parking requirements for multifamily uses in urban villages for lots within walking distance of transit stops with frequent service, and eliminate the City’s authority to require more parking in these areas and certain urban centers through environmental review;
6. Apply the Green Factor landscaping requirement and residential amenity requirements; and
7. Clarify and organize regulations.

Recommendations to change lowrise zoning provisions apply only to land that is currently zoned for lowrise multifamily development.  No single-family zoned areas are proposed to be rezoned.  While lowrise zones are proposed to be consolidated and renamed, no further remapping is proposed.  

Other amendments are proposed, such as changing the method for measuring height, and space requirements for storage of garbage and recycling containers, that apply to more than just lowrise multifamily zones. 

Information Available

Documents are available at the City Council website:

http://seattle.gov/council/clark/2009townhomes-mcuvideos.htm

Links

Summary Memo from Sally Clark

Proposed Ordinance

Attachment A to Lowrise Multifamily Code Amendment Ordinance: Repealed Code Sections

Environmental Documents

Decision
Checklist
Notice of Environmental Determination and Council Public Hearing

Maps of Proposed New LR1, LR2 and LR3 Zones

Recent History