After many iterations over the last two years, a less prescriptive lot splitting proposal emerges.

HB 1096, sponsored by Rep. Andrew Barkis (R–Olympia), intends to increase the housing supply through administrative lot splitting rather than the current land subdivision process.

The bill is an improvement from previous proposals in the following ways:

• Amends the Subdivision Act (RCW 58.17) rather than the Growth Management Act
• Only applies to cities required to comply with the housing density requirements of RCW 36.70A.635, passed in HB 1110 (2023).
• Does not prescribe parking, easements, frontage, lot sizes, or other prescriptive requirements.

The bill requires cities to set up an administrative process to approve a lot split without a public hearing when the following conditions are met:

• Only one new lot is created
• Both lots meet the minimum size requirement set in the housing density statute
• The parent lot was not the result of a single-family residential lot split
• The parent lot is in a primarily residential zone
• Does not result in demolition of an existing rental unit
• Water and sewer availability certificates have been issued for the new lot
• Access rights have been addressed in the deed recording

In addition, the proposal allows for conditioning of the split for right-of-way and frontage improvements per local codes and requires a city to deny the lot split if the proposed created lot would not have sufficient developable land due to critical areas or buffers.

AWC has been having conversations with city planners and developers to find a way to create an implementable version of the lot splitting concept. 

Date to remember

HB 1096 will be heard in the House Housing Committee on Monday, January 13 at 1:30 pm.