HB 1099, proposing to integrate climate change considerations into the Growth Management Act (GMA), has passed the House of Representatives. However, the bill includes an amendment added on passage that incorporates voluntary housing density. AWC supports the bill and cities have worked hard with the sponsors and proponents to get the policy to a place that cities can support, provided the state pays for new costs associated with the new responsibilities.

AWC would appreciate city feedback on an interesting wrinkle that was added to the bill on the House floor.

Rep. Fitzgibbon included a floor amendment creating a new but optional means to meet the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction responsibilities for the first comprehensive plan update cycle. Instead of choosing GHG reduction options listed in forthcoming Commerce guidance, cities could meet the GHG sub element responsibilities by allowing “missing middle” housing in single-family residential zones. Cities would have to authorize accessory dwelling units and at least one type of multifamily housing – duplexes, triplexes, or fourplexes—in all single-family zones. There are several other development regulation policy requirements associated with parking, parcel size, and other factors that cities would also have to meet to qualify for the parallel GHG sub element track.

Our sense is that the new provision could be an attractive option but that some of the additional policy requirements may be too stringent to make it widely used. We would particularly be interested to know if cities have suggestions as to how to make this pathway more attractive for your community to pursue by building in a little more flexibility without undermining the intent to meet GHG reduction goals.

Please provide feedback to Carl Schroeder and Shannon McClelland.

Date to remember

HB 1099 is scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Housing & Local Government Committee on Tuesday, March 16 at 8 am.