Active Code Amendments

ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS 

Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) provide important opportunities for new, and usually affordable, housing options in established neighborhoods at a relatively small scale. Reducing and simplifying regulations for development of accessory units, an implementation action identified in the city’s Rethink Housing Action Plan, can also help meet city goals related to housing affordability, variety, ownership, and capacity. 

Planning Commission Meetings 

March 1, 2022

October 18, 2022

November 15, 2022

December 6, 2022

Accessory Dwelling Unit Code Amendments

Public Comments

  1. Citizen Comment - Cunningham
  2. Citizen Comment - Dahl
  3. Citizen Comment - Gjerding
  4. Citizen Comment - Johnston
  5. Citizen Comment - Koenig
  6. Citizen Comment - Martinis
  7. Citizen Comment - Mohammad
  1. Citizen Comment - Patterson
  2. Citizen Comment - Piatz
  3. Citizen Comment - Roe
  4. Citizen Comment - Sluder-MBA
  5. Citizen Comment 2 - Mohammad
  6. Citizen Comment 3 - Mohammad

Other Project Documents

  1. SEPA Checklist - Accessory Dwelling Unit Code Amendments
  1. SEPA Determination on NonSignificance - REVISED

COMPLETED CODE AMENDMENTS

HOMELESS SHELTERS AND HOUSING 

Status: On September 14, 2022, City Council adopted an ordinance amending the Everett Municipal Code (EMC) to bring into conformance with recently enacted changes in state housing laws (HB 1220).  The ordinance is effective on October 5, 2022.  The changes affect the following uses:  

  • Group Housing, Temporary Shelter (deleted)
  • Emergency Housing (new)
  • Emergency Shelter, Indoor (new)
  • Emergency Shelter, Outdoor (new)
  • Temporary Extreme Weather Shelter (new)
  • (Permanent) Supportive Housing (revisions)
  • Offices-Clinics, social or human service facility, community services (split into “Clinics” and a new “Social Services”)
  • Social services (new)
  • Dwelling (revised)
  • Rooming House (deleted)
  • Bed and Breakfast House (deleted)
  • Short Term Rental (revised)
  • Group Housing Category 1/2/3 (revised and renamed)

  The primary catalyst for this update to city development regulations is the need to address several bills passed by the state legislature in recent years specifically HB 1220 (2021) supporting emergency shelters and housing through local planning and development regulations. The House Bill includes new requirements to accommodate indoor emergency housing and indoor emergency shelter as well as transitional and permanent supportive housing serving people experiencing homelessness. The section of the bill took effect on September 30, 2021, is codified as RCW 35.21.683. Updates to the city's development regulations include amendments to definitions and other provisions that will help clarify and streamline the city’s land use approval process for new facilities.

City Council Public Hearing - September 14, 2022

City Council Public Hearing - August 31, 2022

City Council Briefing - August 10, 2022

Project Documents

Planning Commission Briefing

Planning Commission Public Hearing

Removing Limits on the Number of unrelated Persons who may live in a Dwelling

Status: On September 14, 2022, City Council adopted an ordinance amending the Everett Municipal Code (EMC) to bring into conformance with recently enacted changes in state housing laws (SB 5235).  The ordinance is effective on October 5, 2022.   

 The state legislature passed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5235 on April 14, 2021 and the Governor signed the legislation on May 13, 2021, codified in RCW 35.21.682. The bill, which prohibits cities from regulating or limiting the number of unrelated persons that may occupy a household or dwelling unit, became effective on July 25, 2021. Amendments to the city’s regulations include revising the definitions of “dwelling” and “family” to remove the limit on the number of unrelated persons that may reside in a dwelling in Everett, deleting rooming and boarding house uses, and revising the definition of short-term rentals to include rentals of a portion of a dwelling.

City Council Public Hearing - August 31 and September 14, 2022 

  • No new documents 

City Council Briefing - August 10, 2022

Project Documents

Planning Commission Briefing

Planning Commission Public Hearing

PENDING CODE AMENDMENT

HOME OCCUPATIONS

Status: On hold. The city council referred the proposal back to staff for additional work in 2021. Stay tuned for updates later this year (updated Sept 1, 2022). 

City Council

The Everett City Council held meetings on August 18 and September 1 to consider an update to the Unified Development Code home occupation regulations. Due to thoughtful questions from the Council and citizen concerns, staff will bring a revised proposal back to the council at a later date.  If you would like to be notified of that public hearing, please call 425-257-8731 to be added to the notification list.  

Planning Commission

The City of Everett Planning Commission held a virtual public hearing on July 20, 2021 to take public testimony and make a recommendation to the City Council for potential amendments on a proposed ordinance regarding home occupation regulations (Everett Municipal Code 19.08.120), which are small business activities conducted within a residence, by the resident, subordinate to the residential use. Goals of the updated regulations are to broaden opportunities for home-based entrepreneurs and clarify and simplify code enforcement activities.

Select this link for more information.  If you have any questions about the code amendment, please contact Dan Eernissee, Economic Development Director, at 425-257-8681 or deernissee@everettwa.gov.