Proposed ordinances: 2024-0438 & 2023-0440

METROPOLITAN KING COUNTY COUNCIL

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

2024 Comprehensive Plan

Proposed Ordinances 2023-0438 and 2023-0440

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a public hearing before the Metropolitan King County Council will be held at the King County Courthouse, 516 3rd Avenue Room 1001 on the 19th day of November, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. to consider adoption of Proposed Ordinances 2023-0438 and 2023-0440, which would adopt the 2024 Comprehensive Plan.  Written public testimony will be accepted from 9 a.m. on October 14, 2024 through 9:00 a.m. on November 19, 2024, by sending such public testimony to CouncilCompPlan@kingcounty.gov.  Please include the legislation number and related agenda item in the subject line. In-person and remote testimony will be accepted at the November 19th, 2024 hearing.  Information on the public hearing and how to submit public testimony can be found at this website:  https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/council/governance-leadership/county-council/committees/county-council-meetings.

County Council meetings - King County, Washington

It is expected that the Council will take action on these Proposed Ordinances at the December 3, 2024 meeting.

SUMMARY:

The King County Comprehensive Plan is the guiding policy document for all land use and development regulations in unincorporated King County. The 2024 Comprehensive Plan includes substantive changes to policies in all chapters, map amendments changing land use designations and zoning classifications, updates to appendices, adoption of the Snoqualmie Valley / Northeast King County Subarea Plan, amendments to the Vashon-Maury Island Subarea Plan, updates to the Countywide Planning Policies, and updates to development regulations. A detailed description of the 2024 Comprehensive Plan is available on the Council's website: https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/council/governance-leadership/county-council/useful-links/comprehensive-plan/2024.

The 2024 Comprehensive Plan constitutes the periodic update required under RCW 36.70A.130. The Growth Management Act (GMA) requires King County to take action no later than December 31, 2024, to review and, if needed, revise its comprehensive plan and development regulations to ensure the plan and regulations comply with the requirements of the GMA. The 2024 King County Comprehensive Plan is compliant with the GMA and completes the requirements of the update in RCW 36.70A.130. Additional work on critical areas regulations is ongoing into 2025, as allowed under the reasonable progress exception in RCW 36.70A.130(7)(b).

FINAL CONSIDERATION:

The Council will review the Proposed Ordinances as recommended by the Council’s Local Services and Land Use Committee. Councilmembers may offer amendments to the pieces of legislation for consideration by the Council. As a result, persons interested in any of the issues raised on the pieces of legislation should testify and make their views known at the public hearing on November 19, 2024.  Amendments that may be considered for adoption by the Council include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

Comprehensive Plan

• Modifying policies related to rural area growth, rural character, Rural Towns, and Rural Neighborhood Commercial Centers.
• Modifying policies related to anti-displacement measures tied to development and capital investment.
• Modifying policies related to critical areas and the allowance for changes to critical area policies with an annual Comprehensive Plan update.
• Modifying policies related to climate resilience hubs.
• Modifying policies related to coordination on an intake system for families and individuals experiencing homelessness.
• Modifying policies related to prioritization of specific types of development in permit review.
• Modifying policies (and code) to require accessory dwelling units on rural properties to be included in density calculations with a proposed subdivision.
• Modify policies related to electrification of freight infrastructure.
• Modifying policies related to rural economic development.
• Modifying or adding policies related to Indian tribal cultural resources and tourism.
• Modifying the essential public facilities polices in the KCCP to name the entities/agencies carrying out the policy in each case.
• Modifying policies related to provision of public facilities and services.
• Modifying policies related to coordination with partners on discouraging development in flood hazard areas.
• Modifying policies related to composting toilets, on-site septic systems, and provisions for accessory dwelling units.
• Acknowledging that "undesignated" land use designation exists in the KCCP.
• Adding or modifying policies and development regulations related to using universal design in construction.
• Establishing clear, consistent, and reasonable evaluation and monitoring requirements for implementation of the KCCP.
• Modifying Policy I-108 to simplify the proposed requirements.
• Establishing timing for each of the Work Plan actions in Chapter 12 of the KCCP.
• Adding a Work Plan action to study urban residential density increases throughout urban unincorporated King County.
• Adding a Work Plan action to establish a legacy business program, particularly in areas with a high risk of displacement.
• Adding a Work Plan action to evaluate legal nonconforming open-air theaters and temporary event uses.
• Addressing comments from the Puget Sound Regional Council.
• Addressing comments from the Department of Commerce.
• Modifying the Shoreline Master Program (policies and code) to address comments from the Department of Ecology.
• Modifying Appendix A, Capital Facilities and Utilities, to provide updated information on other service and utility providers.

  Snoqualmie Valley / Northeast King County Subarea Plan

• Modifying policies related to Rural Towns and housing.
• Modifying policies related to pedestrian and active transportation links in the Fall City Rural Town.
• Modifying policies related to designated Washington Scenic and Recreational Highways and historic or scenic corridor.
• Modifying policies related to trail connections to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail.
• Modifying policies for alternatives to driving to Snoqualmie Pass.
• Modifying policy language related to supporting unique local businesses in the Snoqualmie Valley / Northeast King County subarea.

  Map Amendments

• Reviewing land use designations and zoning classifications in North Highline to increase the residential density in in the R-6 and R-8 zones to R-12 or R-18 zoning.
• Reviewing land use designations and zoning classifications to increase residential density in R-zoned areas of the Vashon Rural Town, including rezoning properties along Vashon Highway SW inside the Vashon Rural Town from R-1 to R-4.
• Modifying the map amendments to maintain agriculture land use designations for lands within Agricultural Production Districts.
• Reviewing land use designations and implementing zoning on parcels 2225069027 and 2225069097, in the Happy Valley area, to consider changes to the p-suffix condition, ES-P05, and an associated KCCP policy.

  Development Regulations

• Modifying the inclusionary housing regulations, including affordability limits in specific geographic areas such as the Vashon Rural Town or the White Center and Skyway unincorporated activity centers, density allowances, housing and ownership types, dimensional standards such as height limits and step backs, and transfer of development rights provisions.Establishing affordable housing requirements for the Four-to-One Program consistent with the inclusionary housing changes.
• Creating density or floor area ratio bonuses for developments with child daycare facilities.
• Defining "event centers" and listing them as an allowed use in Title 21A, with or without development conditions in each zoning classification.
• Modifying the allowances for temporary uses, including separating the temporary use permits for special events from other types of temporary uses, and establishing standards for each type of temporary use.This could include, but is not limited to, exemptions, permit requirements, limits on attendees or visitors, traffic and parking conditions.
• Modifying the review requirements for temporary use permits to require full environmental and public review, and limiting use of legal nonconforming status for event uses.
• Amending regulations relating to temporary events in urban areas.Amending regulations for temporary events held at properties owned by nonprofit organizations.
• Reducing permitting conditions to provide temporary farm worker housing.
• Requiring single detached residences on Agricultural zoned land to be accessory to active agricultural production, and requiring these residences to be located in areas not suitable for agricultural purposes.
• Allowing microshelter villages (also known as tiny house villages) as a temporary use on church properties in the RA zone.
• Adopting regulations to allow "lot splitting," which would allow single detached properties to be split into two lots, subject to restrictions and development requirements such as lot size, lot width, parking, or street improvements.
• Amending the grading permit exemptions for wildfire risk reduction.
• Modifying the regulations, including in the alternative housing demonstration project, for congregate housing.
• Establishing a new regenerative development demonstration project, to apply to properties in Vashon Rural Town.
• Modifying requirements for residential uses on the upper floors in the Fall City Business District.Revising building height maximums and affordability incentives in Fall City Rural Town.
• Modifying the maximum density for manufactured home communities in the Fall City Rural Town residential zones.
• Amending requirements for daycares, such as fencing requirements, to reduce barriers. Prioritizing daycares in permit review.
• Amending requirements for retail nurseries, garden centers and farm supply stores in the Rural Area and/or Agricultural zones.
• Modifying permit requirements and development conditions for uses allowed in the land use tables considered "Industrial" uses so that uses with similar impacts are regulated similarly.Defining or clarifying what is considered an "industrial" use to create alignment between the KCCP and Title 21A.
• Making changes to what types of utility development projects require equity impact review and what is required during the review.
• Reviewing dimensional, density, design, parking, and ground floor use requirements for developments in urban areas to reduce barriers to building housing, including reducing or eliminating setbacks, upper floor step backs, off-street parking; and/or increasing base density, height, or floor to area ratio.
• Removing regulatory barriers for uses unlikely to have negative impacts, such as removing requirements for Conditional Use Permits or Special Use Permits.
• Raising the maximum square footage for accessory dwelling units in the urban area and reducing or eliminating fees relating to accessory dwelling unit construction.
• Waiving parking requirements in the White Center unincorporated activity center for certain uses.
• Limiting chain or formula stores in the White Center unincorporated activity center and in Vashon Rural Town.
• Modifying or eliminating maximum residential density in urban areas, particularly where neighboring jurisdictions have different maximum density standards.
• Modifying development standards and design standards in North Highline to reduce barriers to building housing, including reducing setback requirements, raising height limits in some zones, providing extra density for developments within ½ mile of transit, reducing parking requirements .
• Adding a density bonus for small businesses in mixed-use developments in White Center.
• Creating different dimensional standards for single detached residences and multiunit attached residences.
• Applying minimum density requirements in the Rural Towns. 
• Amending dimensional standards for Vashon Rural Town, including height and parking requirements. 
• Increasing residential density and allowing a greater range of uses in rural neighborhood commercial centers.
• Establishing size limitations for uses in Rural Neighborhood Commercial Centers and Rural Towns.
• Allowing for warehousing and manufacturing as conditional uses in the proposed green energy special district overlay when associated with efforts that further the County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan or other green energy goals.
• Reducing permitting requirements for animal rescue shelters, including allowing for a "home-based animal shelter."
• Reviewing regulations for community centers.
• Reducing barriers to and/or requiring climate-resilient landscaping and green stormwater infrastructure.
• Making changes to the sign code relating to historic markers and heritage trails.  
• Revising the definition for family and household for consistency.
• Aligning uses between the permitted uses tables and the landscaping chapter.
• Clarifying and streamlining code sections on site area and density calculations.
• Modifying subarea plan requirements in Title 20 and the Comprehensive Plan.
• Reviewing the substantive authority section in Title 20 to update it to currently adopted plans and regulations.
• Reorganizing K.C.C. chapter 20.18 to make the requirements clearer without changing intent.
• Modifying when Community Needs Lists are transmitted to the Council.
• Creating consistency between definitions in different titles of King County Code.
• Modifying regulations for materials processing uses.
• Updating parking dimensional standards to comply with updates in state law.
• Modifying the transfer of development rights program to allow affordable housing to be considered an amenity to be eligible for amenity funding.
• Modifying the allowance for specialty hospitals to remove the allowance as a permitted use in the R-12 zone.
• Modifying the allowed uses in the Vashon Rural Town.
• Modifying the allowances for doctor’s office/outpatient clinic, hospital, social services, crisis care center, nursing and personal care facilities, adult family home, and emergency housing uses in Rural Towns, Rural Neighborhood Commercial Centers, and Rural Area zones.
• Modifying the definitions of emergency housing uses.
• Modifying the allowances for anaerobic digesters in commercial and mining zones.
• Modifying the requirements for docket submittals as part of midpoint and 10-year Comprehensive Plan updates.
• Modifying or removing the rural area advisory commission.
• Modifying the requirements for the Strategic Climate Action Plan.

  General

• Engrossing changes made by other ordinances.
• Making technical corrections, clarifications to terminology, and streamlining of language that does not change the intent.
• Any amendment within the alternatives analyzed in the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Environmental Impact Statement.
• Any amendment contained in the Executive’s version of the subject legislation, either in the public review draft or as transmitted.
• Any amendment offered, or issue discussed, during the Local Services and Land Use Committee review.

For More Information:

The complete text of the legislation as transmitted by the Executive, the text of the recommended Local Services and Land Use Committee version, and available conceptual line amendments are at the following website: https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/council/governance-leadership/county-council/useful-links/comprehensive-plan/2024. As amendments are made public, they will also be available at this website.

A copy of Proposed Ordinance 2023-0438 is available on the internet at: https://mkcclegisearch.kingcounty.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6445313&GUID=83C330F2-B895-4C25-BA64-5B6C78D9DF98&Options=ID|Text|&Search=2023-0438

A copy of Proposed Ordinance 2023-0440 is available on the internet at: https://mkcclegisearch.kingcounty.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6445382&GUID=D52C8883-3290-43F7-86B4-AC5D10C49A7E&Options=ID|Text|&Search=2023-0440

You may also view this notice at the Clerk’s webpage at: https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/council/governance-leadership/county-council/clerk-of-the-council/public-notices.

DATED at Seattle, Washington, this 18th day of October, 2024.

METROPOLITAN KING COUNTY COUNCIL

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON

Melani Hay

Clerk of the Council