Lot splitting bill passes chamber

The proposal to allow for expedited lot splitting has passed the House, with significant amendments along the way.

HB 1245 now requires cities to allow, within any residential zone that allows detached single-family housing, the splitting of a residential lot into two lots if the following conditions are met:

• The resulting lots are at least 2,000 square feet
• The lots are at least 40% the size of the original lot
• The lots are consistent with “minimum review standards under RCW 58.17”
• The original lot were not the result of a lot splitting
• The lot split would not result in demolition or alteration of any housing that has had a market rate tenant within the last 12 months or any rent restricted housing

Cities may not:

• Require more than one parking space per lot
• Require more than 20 feet of frontage per lot
• Impose permitting requirements, design standards or impact fees on construction on the second lot that are greater than what would be imposed on other new residential construction
• Impose dedication of rights-of-way for off-site improvements unless site-specific conditions require otherwise
• Require easement widths of more than five feet for access to rear lots unless site-specific conditions require otherwise

AWC still has concerns that HB 1245 is not balanced with HB 1110, the bill proposing mandatory minimum densities. If there isn’t alignment between the two, this bill has to potential to act as multiplier of HB 1110—doubling the required density.  For instance, if the middle housing bill requires four units per lot as written, HB 1245 would then allow that lot to be split and then four units required on each. Now that lot would have the impact of eight housing units on water, transportation, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure.