### Meeting Overview The City of Bellingham Planning Commission held a public hearing on October 9, 2025, to review proposed updates to the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance. The amendments are required to bring Bellingham into full compliance with Washington State House Bill 1337, which mandates changes to ADU regulations by December 31, 2025. The commission voted 5-0 to recommend approval with several amendments. ### Key Terms and Concepts **ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit):** A second residential unit on the same property as a primary home, either attached to or separate from the main house. **House Bill 1337:** 2023 Washington State legislation requiring cities to ease barriers to ADU construction by eliminating certain restrictions like owner occupancy requirements and overly restrictive design standards. **Floor Area Ratio (FAR):** A zoning tool that limits building size based on lot size, ensuring development scales appropriately with the property rather than using fixed square footage limits. **Middle Housing (HB 1110):** State legislation allowing up to 4-6 housing units per lot, which ADUs now count toward under the updated regulations. **Type I Review Process:** An administrative approval process that doesn't require public notice, making ADU permits faster and less expensive to obtain. **Principal Unit:** The main dwelling on a property (single-family home, duplex, triplex, etc.) that an ADU is associated with. **Detached ADU (D-ADU):** An ADU in a separate building from the primary residence, such as a converted garage or purpose-built structure. **Minor Modifications:** Small adjustments to development standards that can be approved administratively without requiring a full variance process. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Mike Estes | Planning Commission Chair | | Dan Bloemker | Planning Commissioner | | Rose Lathrop | Planning Commissioner | | Jed Ballew | Planning Commissioner | | Lisa Marx | Planning Commissioner | | Chris Koch | City Planner II, Staff Presenter | | Blake Baldwin | Planning and Community Development Staff | | Kurt Nabbefeld | Development Services Manager | ### Background Context Washington State passed House Bill 1337 in 2023 to address the housing affordability crisis by removing barriers to ADU construction. Bellingham had previously adopted many of these changes in 2023 but retained some restrictions like owner occupancy requirements. The state now requires full compliance by year-end 2025, or state law will supersede local regulations. ADU permits in Bellingham have dramatically increased from the mid-40s annually to over 100 following previous code changes, demonstrating significant pent-up demand. The city is coordinating these ADU updates with other state-mandated housing reforms, including middle housing allowances and design review streamlining. ### What Happened — The Short Version Staff presented proposed ADU code updates to comply with state law, including eliminating owner occupancy requirements and allowing ADUs to count toward density limits. The commission discussed three main issues: whether to eliminate setback requirements for ADUs built close to property lines, whether to retain provisions for shared utilities, and whether to remove parking requirements entirely. They voted to eliminate the 5-foot setback requirement in rear yards, ensure shared utilities remain allowed, and remove minimum parking requirements for ADUs while keeping design standards for optional parking. ### What to Watch Next • City Council public hearing scheduled for October 20, 2025 • Final adoption expected before December 31, 2025 state deadline • Middle housing and design review ordinances coming to Planning Commission in 2026 • Potential residential zoning updates following comprehensive plan adoption ---