Lowrise Multifamily Code Corrections
| public engagement |
public review |
final report |
council process |
final decision |
What’s Happening Now?
City Council voted on July 7th, 2015 to pass a set of Lowrise Multifamily Code Corrections. The new regulations for lowrise multi-family development become effective on August 9th, 2015.
Lowrise zoning encourages a wide variety of new housing including apartments, townhouses, and rowhouses. The zones are usually located in between mixed-use commercial areas and single-family neighborhoods; and they play a key role in the production of new housing that can help meet growing demand.
After a complete overhaul of lowrise multifamily zoning code was enacted in 2010, some community groups commented that the first wave of buildings constructed under the new lowrise multifamily code were too tall or large. The City responded to these concerns by reviewing actual projects developed under the new code, and proposing a set of minor changes to bring the scale of development in line with what was expected at the time of the 2010 major update of the lowrise zones.
The final version of the Lowrise Multifamily Code Corrections were prepared by the City Council based on input from the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda advisory group, Seattle DCI, and other stakeholders.
Project Benefits
The review of code changes will:
- Promote new lowrise multifamily buildings that are a better fit within neighborhoods
- Provide consistency and predictability for neighbors as well as housing builders and designers
The End Result
The City Council passed zoning adjustments on July 7, 2015, which included input from Mayor Murray’s Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda advisory group.
