Resolution 7700 - Laserfiche WebLink

page 3 12/21/2020 Rethink Zoning On November 4, 2020, the Everett City Council adopted a new Unified Development Code (Rethink Zoning). Ordinance No. 3774-20 became effective on November 24, 2020. The following provisions were included in Ordinance No. 3774-20 and are included in the list the legislature asked cities to consider with ESHB 1923. Where noted, some additional code amendments will be considered as part of the Rethink Housing Action Plan. Commuter Rail (a) Authorize development in one or more areas of not fewer than five hundred acres that include at least one train station served by commuter rail or light rail with an average of at least fifty residential units per acre that require no more than an average of one on-site parking space per two bedrooms in the portions of multifamily zones that are located within the areas; The commuter rail station – and one of the future light rail stations, is located at Everett Station in Metro Everett. Metro Everett is over one square mile and has no limitations on density. Off-street parking requirements for this area are 1.2 to 1.4 spaces for a 2-bedroom unit. However, due to the proximity to frequent transit, a 25% reduction is provided, which reduces parking for a 2-bedroom unit to 0.9 to 1.05 parking spaces required, thus meeting the average of no more than one on-site parking spaces per 2 bedrooms in the statute. These standards were maintained, and expanded, with Rethink Zoning. High Frequency Transit Corridors (b) Authorize development in one or more areas of not fewer than two hundred acres …. that include at least one bus stop served by scheduled bus service of at least four times per hour for twelve or more hours per day with an average of at least twenty-five residential units per acre that require no more than an average of one on-site parking space per two bedrooms in portions of the multifamily zones that are located within the areas; The corridors in Everett which meet the high frequency standard in the statute include Swift bus routes into Everett Station and along the Swift corridors. As mentioned above, the high frequency transit corridors within Metro Everett do not have limitations on density and, on average, meet the average of no more than one on-site parking spaces per 2 bedrooms in the statute. However, the high frequency transit routes are also outside of Metro Everett, where 1.125 parking spaces are required for a 2- bedroom unit when the 25% reduction is applied for high-frequency transit. Amendments have not been drafted to address parking in these high frequency transit corridors outside of Metro Everett at this time. It is unclear where the Legislature obtained these standards for 2- bedroom units. Additional review of the need for off-street parking for 2-bedroom units near high frequency transit corridors could be added to the Rethink Housing Action Plan.