ORDINANCE 984

 Cottage cluster. (Photo Credit: Sightline Institute)

Purpose

Cottage housing regulations were identified as a high priority for implementation of the City’s Housing Action Plan (HAP). The HAP, adopted on May 24, 2021, explores possible City-led actions and initiatives to encourage the production of sufficient affordable and market rate housing within the City of Shoreline. Cottage housing regulations will be developed to identify the location, density, and design of cottage housing in Shoreline.

What is Cottage Housing?

Cottage housing is a type of missing middle housing that generally allows for small 1 or 2 story houses that may be attached or detached that may not have a backyard but instead are arranged around a common interior courtyard. Houses are small, generally 700-1,200sf. Those dimensions may allow for naturally moderate-income housing that is well suited to seniors and small families. They blend easily in single family neighborhoods, appearing similar to single family houses from the street, and they fit well into large lots or assemblages of 2-3 small lots.

What is the timeline for this project?

Ordinance No. 984 was passed by City Council on June 5, 2023 and became effective on June 13, 2023. Associated Resolution No. 512 was passed by City Council and became effective on June 12, 2023. This concluded a more than 12-month code writing process funded by a grant from the Department of Commerce.

• Staff presented the cottage housing work plan to Planning Commission on April 21,2022. See the staff report.
• An Existing Conditions Report with information about demographics, housing trends, a zoning analysis and cottage ordinance case studies was prepared by Blueline consulting in June 2022.
•  Public outreach including a survey and a series of focus groups was held over the Summer of 2022.
• A virtual open house was held on October 5, 2022. Watch a recorded version of the presentation. See the questions and answer from the meeting discussion.
• A public outreach summary detailing the City's outreach efforts and summarizing community feedback was prepared by Blueline in November 2022.
•  A summary of the public outreach was presented to Planning Commission on December 1, 2022. Review the staff report and presentation slide deck. 
• The first draft of the cottage code was presented to Planning Commission on February 2, 2023. Review the staff report and presentation slide deck.
• A revised draft of the cottage code was presented to Planning Commission on March 16, 2023. Review the staff report and presentation slide deck.
• A public hearing to receive comments on the proposed cottage housing code was held on April 6, 2023. Review the staff report and presentation slide deck.
• The City Council discussed this item at its April 24, 2023 meeting. Review the staff report and presentation slide deck.
• The City Council discussed this item at its May 22, 2023 meeting. Review the staff report and presentation slide deck.
• The City Council adopted Ordinance No. 984 at its June 5, 2023 meeting. Review the staff report and presentation slide deck.
• The City Council adopted Resolution No. 512 at its June 12, 2023 meeting. Review the staff report and presentation slide deck.

This timeline will be updated with meeting dates as they arise. Please sign up for updates using the web form on this page.

Background Documents

Background materials can be found at the following links:

• Housing Action Plan
• Existing Conditions Report