2014/04/09 Council Agenda Packet

2 10. City staff has worked closely with MBA members to gain perspectives and information from individuals with experience in developing,building, marketing,insuring and managing condominiums and fee simple lot housing developments to draft the proposed code amendment. 11. MBA members have provided detailed testimony at Planning Commission workshops to help provide a better understanding of the challenges the development community has faced with financing of condominiums. 12. MBA members have testified about how using the unit lot subdivision process in other area jurisdictions has eliminated many of the problems associated with selling,financing, refinancing,and reselling townhomes in unit lot subdivision developments. . 13. Staff has reviewed the experiences of other local jurisdictions that have adopted the unit lot subdivision process. These jurisdictions report favorable results in addressing the finance related problems identified by the MBA. 14.The Comprehensive Plan has several policy statements about encouraging owner occupied housing through land use and building code standards. 15. The Planning Commission held public discussions on October 15,November 19,and December 17 (all in 2013)on this topic. 16.The Planning Commission held a public hearing on February 4,2014 to consider public testimony concerning the proposed amendment. WHEREAS,the City Council concludes the following: 1. The proposed amendments to the City's Zoning Code to add a section for:Unit Lot Subdivisions will benefit homeowners, developers and builders with more flexibility in designing,financing, selling,refinancing and managing townhouse developments in those zones where townhouse development is allowed. 2. Allowing the Unit Lot Subdivision process to apply retroactively to existing single family detached and townhouse condominium developments will benefit existing homeowners in selling and refinancing homes and managing existing developed neighborhoods. 3. The Unit Lot Subdivision process will not increase permitted residential densities. 4. Developments using the Unit Lot Subdivision process will be required to meet the design and development standards of the applicable land use zone. 5. The proposed amendment is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. 6. The proposed amendment promotes the best long term interests of the community. NOW,THEREFORE,THE CITY OF EVERETT DOES ORDAIN: Section 1. Section 36 of Ordinance No. 2397-99,as amended(EMC 19.05), Special Regulation No. 5 of Table 5.1,which reads as follows: (5) Except in the core residential area, see Section 7.010 for development standards for single- family dwellings on lots smaller than five thousand square feet. See Section 7.020 for regulations 2 5