Chapter 18.42
AFFORDABLE LOW-INCOME HOUSING INCENTIVES
Sections:
18.42.030 Other affordable housing options.
18.42.040 Requirements for affordable housing options.
18.42.050 Incentives for affordable housing.
18.42.060 Design standards for affordable housing.
18.42.010 Purpose.
The affordable housing incentive program is intended to provide incentives to developing and building housing for purchasers or renters who work in service industry jobs, such as cashiers, hotel staff and retail and restaurant workers, which make up the majority of employees within Leavenworth. By providing housing incentives, as authorized by RCW 36.70A.540, the city intends to improve the quality of life for all residents of varying income levels by supporting health, increasing financial stability, reducing travel demands, and expanding population diversity. [Ord. 1654 § 1 (Att. A), 2022.]
18.42.020 Applicability.
A. Notwithstanding any other provision in this title, affordable housing developments are permitted in all zoning districts and encouraged within planned developments and commercial district mixed-use incentives developments.
B. Affordable housing developments serve:
1. Low-income renters with incomes of 50 percent or less of the county median family income, adjusted for family size.
2. Low-income owner-occupied households with incomes of 80 percent or less of the county median family income, adjusted for family size.
3. Notwithstanding subsections (B)(1) and (B)(2) of this section, the city council may increase, through a public hearing, low-income rental housing up to 80 percent of the county area median income (“AMI”) or low-income owner occupancy housing up to 100 percent of the county AMI.
C. Rental units, for occupiers meeting the criteria of subsections (B)(1) through (B)(3) of this section, are for the purposes of this chapter affordable housing. [Ord. 1654 § 1 (Att. A), 2022.]
18.42.030 Other affordable housing options.
The following list of options is provided for overall education of what the city of Leavenworth has developed in support of affordable housing units. Use of these options, or others, is not a required part of this affordable housing chapter.
A. Chapter 3.42 LMC, Affordable Housing Grant/Loan Program.
B. Chapter 3.43 LMC, Workforce Housing Grant/Loan Program.
C. Chapter 3.44 LMC, Affordable Housing Funds.
D. Preapproved accessory dwelling unit construction plans.
E. Manufactured/tiny home parks.
F. Manufactured home placement.
G. Partnerships with nonprofit housing authorities/groups. [Ord. 1654 § 1 (Att. A), 2022.]
18.42.040 Requirements for affordable housing options.
Any development of affordable housing for low-income housing units, whether rental or owner occupied, shall ensure that each affordable housing unit be retained as affordable housing into perpetuity from the date of final certificate of occupancy. Developers or owners of the housing, as the case may be, shall record a covenant as required by the city to retain the housing as affordable into perpetuity from the date of final occupancy. [Ord. 1654 § 1 (Att. A), 2022.]
18.42.050 Incentives for affordable housing.
When a development includes affordable housing for low-income housing units, the project may request any of the following deviations from the standard regulations:
A. Density, low-income affordable housing units may be provided in the following manner:
1. For residential districts, one additional dwelling unit may be provided for low-income affordable housing. For example, a residentially zoned lot may have a single-family home, an accessory dwelling and one low-income housing unit; or, it may have a single-family home and two low-income housing units; or, it may have three low-income housing units.
2. For multifamily residential districts, one low-income affordable housing unit per 1,500 square feet of lot area may be provided. Any fractional calculation shall be rounded down.
A combination of market rate and low-income units may be provided when consistent with the following methodology. The administrator shall determine the required number of low-income units and the maximum number of units based on the lot size for the project. Any fractional calculation shall be rounded down.
|
Lot Sizea |
Multifamily (one unit per 2,000 sq ft of lot area) |
Low-Income Affordable (one unit per 1,500 sq ft of lot area) |
Required Number of Low-Incomeb |
Maximum Number of Unitsc |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
6000 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
4 |
|
10,000 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
6 |
|
20,000 |
10 |
13 |
3 |
13 |
|
43,560 |
21 |
29 |
8 |
29 |
a Calculated based on a “lot of record,” not including any right-of-way or land dedicated for a specific purpose on a plat
b Difference between multifamily (2,000 square feet per unit) and low-income affordable (1,500 square feet per unit)
c Number of maximum low-income affordable units
3. For the commercial and industrial districts, the minimum or maximum number of dwelling units is not defined.
B. Lot Coverage. When a development includes a minimum of three affordable housing units, the lot coverage may increase to 50 percent or the underlying zoning requirement, whichever is greater.
C. For residential zoning districts and multifamily districts, when a development includes at least one affordable housing unit, the front yard setback may be reduced to 19 feet; however, the allowance for a front porch within the front yard setback is not permitted.
D. Alley Access. Any development that includes affordable low-income dwellings may have primary vehicular access from the alley when meeting the city’s development standards.
E. Parking for low-income units shall be calculated as:
1. Housing units serving residents with incomes at or above 51 percent AMI shall provide one parking space per housing unit.
2. Housing units serving residents with incomes below 50 percent AMI may reduce parking by 50 percent when located within one-half mile from a public transit park-and-ride.
3. Any fractional parking shall be rounded up.
F. Height, within the tourist commercial district, may increase to up to 50 feet excepting that the building height shall not exceed 35 feet for the first 30 feet of distance from the property line when adjoining a residential or multifamily district. [Ord. 1654 § 1 (Att. A), 2022.]
18.42.060 Design standards for affordable housing.
All development using this chapter shall meet the following supplemental development standards for low-income affordable housing units:
A. Half of the affordable housing units must be of a similar size and makeup (number of bedrooms and bathrooms) as market rate units within the same development. The remaining half may be smaller or larger than the market rate units within the same development.
B. Entries and front doors shall be consolidated whenever feasible so that only one entrance or front door is facing a city street. This provision does not apply to townhomes.
C. Corner Lots. The development may include driveway access from each city street and/or the alley.
D. The design of the structures shall include at least one articulation of the facade (vertical articulation) or multiplaned roofs to soften the appearance of the structure.
E. Storage. For every dwelling unit under 500 square feet, a separate area for personal storage shall be provided of at least 90 cubic feet; for example: length five feet, width three feet, height six feet. Areas under four feet in height will not be calculated as storage. [Ord. 1654 § 1 (Att. A), 2022.]