Olympia City Council will take up ‘missing middle’ housing plan

The Olympia City Council is set to vote on a series of controversial zoning-related changes at its meeting Tuesday.

For more than a year, city staff and officials have considered the “missing middle” changes, which would allow for more housing types to be built in low-density residential neighborhoods.

“Missing middle” refers to housing on the scale between single-family homes and large apartment buildings, including duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, courtyard apartments and townhouses.

The city’s planning commission recommended the changes earlier in the summer after deliberating the more than 40 changes since April. Among the changes:

• Triplexes, fourplexes and courtyard apartments would be allowed in R4-8 residential zoning districts within 300 feet of a transit route or commercial district.
• Single-room occupancy buildings would be required to have one off-street parking space for every four rooms.
• Duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, courtyard apartments and townhomes would be required to provide one off-street parking space for each unit and one and a half spaces if there is no on-street parking in the area.

The City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 601 Fourth Ave. E. To see city documents outlining the changes, go to http://olympiawa.gov/city-government/codes-plans-and-standards/missing-middle.aspx.

This story was originally published September 8, 2018 at 12:00 AM.