(Image: CHS)

With City Council and Department of Planning and Development staff investigating concerns about the pace and lack of review of microhousing development in Seattle, officials will hold a public forum to discuss regulation amidst calls for a moratorium on the “boarding house”-style apartment buildings until more stringent design and environmental review processes can be put into place.

City Council to discuss micro-housing developments

Public invited to share feedback with Councilmembers and City staff

SEATTLE –Seattle City Councilmembers Tom Rasmussen, Nick Licata, Sally J. Clark and Richard Conlin today announced a public meeting on micro-housing developments on April 18, in response to questions and concerns raised in several Seattle neighborhoods.

 “Several Councilmembers and I are sponsoring a two hour meeting to review what is occurring due to the strong interest and concern we are hearing in the neighborhoods,” Councilmember Tom Rasmussen stated. “A portion of the meeting will include an opportunity for the public to provide comments and recommendations on what, if any, regulations should be enacted for this unique type of housing.”

 In addition to a public comment opportunity, representatives from the Department of Planning and Development (DPD), the Office of Housing (OH) and City Council staff will discuss Seattle’s recent experience with micro-housing.

WHAT: Micro-housing development discussion

WHEN: Thursday, April 18, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

 WHERE: Council Chambers, second floor

Seattle City Council, 600 Fourth Ave

WHO: Seattle City Councilmembers and Council staff

Representatives from Seattle’s Dept. of Planning and Development

Representatives from Seattle’s Office of Housing

Council member Rasmussen has continued to look into the developments even as planning and land use committee head Richard Conlin has said he does not believe a moratorium is necessary. Mayor Michael McGinn has also embraced the developments: “Our goal is to provide housing options to potential residents at all income levels, and micro apartments are a part of making that goal a reality for many Seattle residents.”

CHS’s most recent efforts to document the number of microhousing projects mapped at least 36 planned or constructed in Seattle with Capitol Hill and the University District apparently making room for the bulk of the projects. UPDATE: The city’s analysis, included at the end of this post, counts 44 projects since 2006. The Capitol Hill Community Council has called for a moratorium on the projects until better reviews can be put in place.

In the statement announcing the forum, Council president Clark said she is a proponent of the projects.  “I’ve visited some of these micro-units,” she is quoted as saying. “They provide decent, often attractive housing for a range of people who don’t need or want a lot of space. They’re also appearing in greater numbers and more rapidly than some in the surrounding neighborhood want. This forum can provide a good airing of people’s support, concerns and ideas for appropriate regulation.”

Conlin also includes a balanced statement on the situation: “Microhousing can be an affordable option that works well with neighborhoods. However, it does not fit neatly into Seattle’s land use code, and we are looking for input on code improvements that will preserve the affordability while ensuring that these developments reflect both the letter and the spirit of our land use laws.”

The city has also released an analysis brief on the developments in conjunction with the forum’s announcement:

In recent years, micro-housing has emerged as an increasingly common residential building product in Seattle. Since 2006, DPD has received permit applications for 44 projects. Those completed projects have a total capacity of about 2,000 people. In 2012, DPD received applications for approximately 15 micro-housing projects.

Micro-housing projects are generally comprised of apartment or townhome-style dwelling units, each of which contains several (often seven or eight) smaller living quarters clustered around a shared kitchen and laundry area. Each of the smaller living spaces within the dwelling unit is leased to an individual tenant. These spaces are typically 150 to 200 square feet in size and equipped with a kitchenette (refrigerator, microwave, sink) and private bathroom. Rent levels vary by location but are often in the range of $600 to $700 per month.

Developers have found Seattle offers a strong market for micro-housing, with completed projects leasing up quickly. Tenants often include students, service industry workers, and individuals who divide their time between Seattle and a residence in another location.  Geographically, 52 percent of the projects are located on Capitol Hill and 30 percent in the University District, with the remainder spread throughout the city.

Because micro-housing is not well-defined in City codes it also may not be adequately regulated. Some of the issues and concerns the public has raised about Seattle’s growing stock of micro-housing include:

 

• Within micro-housing projects, DPD currently counts the several small living quarters that surround a common kitchen and laundry area as a single dwelling unit (e.g., one apartment with eight bedrooms and eight bathrooms). As a result, most micro-housing projects do not meet the threshold for design review. Normally the design review process also provides opportunities for neighbors to comment and offer input on proposed projects.

• DPD’s current practice of counting multiple living quarters within a micro-housing project as a single dwelling unit also complicates efforts to measure progress toward adopted growth targets in neighborhoods where micro-housing is located. It also can affect whether a proposed micro-housing project is subject to environmental review under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).

• Micro-housing may not be an appropriate building type for all multifamily residential zones.

• Micro-housing projects are generally designed to house 30 to 60 individuals; however, on-site parking is rarely provided.

• The high cost of this housing on a price per square foot basis.