Edmonds City Council voted 4–3 on July 1 to direct staff to amend the city’s residential-parking ordinance to prohibit municipal parking minimums for state-defined affordable and senior housing, aligning Edmonds code with recently adopted state statutes.

What happened: Mike Clugston of the Planning and Development Department told the council the draft code updates respond to recent state legislation (Senate Bill 5184 and related earlier bills) that limits local minimum-parking requirements for certain multifamily and affordable units and establishes a 0.5 parking‑space-per-unit standard for some multifamily developments. Councilmember Payne moved that the city incorporate the specific state‑driven prohibition on requiring parking for affordable and senior housing; the motion passed 4–3.

Why it matters: Council and staff said adopting the exemption now — ahead of a 2028 statewide compliance deadline — makes it easier and less expensive for developers to build affordable and senior housing in Edmonds because constructing structured parking adds roughly tens of thousands of dollars per stall and can make projects financially unviable. Supporters argued that eliminating parking minimums can reduce construction cost barriers and encourage more housing supply.

Concerns raised: Opponents on the council and several members of the public said Edmonds currently lacks the nonmotorized infrastructure and high-frequency transit necessary to make living without a car realistic in many neighborhoods. Councilmember Nand warned of spillover effects: residents of new developments occupying commercial parking spaces or on-street spots in nearby neighborhoods. Councilmember Dasch noted the city’s prior experience with market-rate multifamily projects, observing there is no guarantee savings from omitted parking requirements are passed to renters.

Legal and technical details: Staff said the ordinance will import definitions from state law (for “affordable housing” by AMI thresholds and for senior housing) and that federal ADA parking rules still apply; city staff described several paths developers can take, including providing their own parking if they choose, and noted the city cannot require parking for the specified housing types under the new state law.

Vote and next steps: The motion directing staff to incorporate the state parking-exemption language into the draft code passed 4–3. Staff will make the ordinance edits and return the revised code for formal adoption on a future consent or legislative agenda. Planners said adopting the changes now would streamline permitting for qualifying projects and reduce the need for later code amendments when the statewide rules take effect.