Resolution 3902 - Laserfiche WebLink

WHEREAS, the City Council finds that the following circumstances have changed since 1986 which justify a change in the land use designation: 1. Housing Affordability: Single family detached housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable to Everett residents. Housing costs have risen much faster than household incomes, making the average priced house in Everett too expensive for families with the median household income. The cost savings potential allowed by the densities, development flexibility, and attached housing types of the proposed land use designation and zoning provide the opportunity to offer housing which is more affordable to the first time home buyer than the typical single family detached dwelling. 2. Owner Occupied Housing: As a result of the increasing cost of home ownership, the proportion of dwelling units in Everett occupied by non-owners now exceeds the percentage occupied by owners. This trend causes concern about community and neighborhood stability. The proposed land use designation and zoning enables construction of alternatives to the higher priced single family detached home. This will provide the opportunity for home ownership to a segment of the community that presently has little option but to rent. 3. Demographic Trends: The proportion of households headed by persons over age 45 will dramatically increase over the next 20 years. Many of these households will prefer smaller homes with less yard to maintain than is typical of single family detached houses. The proposed land use designation and zoning will allow the development of housing with less individual yard maintenance than is typically required for single family detached housing. 4. Higher Densities: The Growth Management Act requires or strongly implies that cities will have to accommodate higher levels of population than current plans provide for. The proposed land use designation and zoning allow for higher housing densities than possible under the existing zoning, while promoting a housing type that is compatible with adjoining single family zones. However, the density of the proposed land use designation, zoning and housing development does not exceed the housing density of the existing land use designation 5. Scale and Bulk of Higher Density Housing: A major concern of the community related to higher density housing is compatibility of scale and bulk with surrounding single neighborhoods. Since the adoption of the 1986 residential land use policies, the city adopted a new zoning code that established the R-1(A) zone. This zone includes standards which attempt to make single family attached residential developments compatible with adjoining single family detached areas. The higher density housing proposed by the applicant is similar in bulk and scale to that which is permitted in abutting single family zones, and typical of more recent single family detached housing developments in the Everett area.