Leavenworth planning staff on Feb. 5 presented a draft of accessory dwelling unit (ADU) code changes required by recent state law and opened a detailed discussion on parking, lot‑coverage limits and utility requirements for properties inside the city and in the urban growth area (UGA).

Planning staff member Maggie said the draft is intended to “meet the state law requirements” and would explicitly allow up to two ADUs per lot in districts that permit single‑family homes, with configurations the state describes as one attached plus one detached, two attached, or two detached. Maggie told commissioners the city’s existing ADU size ceiling (1,200 square feet in the current local code) will remain, while noting the state sets a separate minimum standard that jurisdictions must respect.

The commission’s wider discussion focused on three practical barriers to adding ADUs: existing 35% lot coverage limits, off‑street parking requirements, and utility‑connection rules that the county treats differently inside the UGA. Commissioners and the planning consultant advised that those three items will determine whether property owners can actually build one or two ADUs on small lots.

Why it matters: The changes respond to state guidance (cited by staff) intended to expand housing options. But Leavenworth commissioners said the city’s small average lot size, winter street‑parking rules and the county’s interpretation of city utility requirements for UGA parcels could blunt the law’s effect locally.

Discussion highlights and next steps

- Lot coverage: Commissioners and the consultant said lot coverage will be the biggest practical constraint on multiple ADUs. The city’s current maximum lot coverage is 35%; participants floated potential approaches such as a simple per‑unit addition (for example, +5 percentage points per ADU), or a tiered/variable formula (e.g., 35% for the first 3,000 sq. ft. then additional allowance per extra 1,000 sq. ft.). Staff agreed to prepare visual examples (3,000 and 6,000 sq. ft. lots) to show how suggested formulas would look on typical Leavenworth parcels.

- Parking: The draft says each ADU must provide one off‑street parking space in addition to spaces required for the primary residence. Commissioners debated whether to revise Title 14 (the city’s parking code) to simplify requirements to “one vehicle space per dwelling unit” rather than a square‑footage formula that now gives larger houses more required stalls. Staff said they will examine opening Title 14 for amendment so the ADU standard is clearer and easier to administer.

- Utilities and the UGA: County staff interpret older language in the adopted code to require city water and sewer connections for ADUs above certain sizes in the UGA. Planning staff told the commission she is coordinating with the county to modify wording so UGA parcels without city water/sewer are not automatically blocked from using ADU allowances where the county or health district permits alternative systems.

- Square‑foot rules and measurement: Commissioners discussed whether gross floor area should be measured under the International Residential Code or another standard; staff said they will align definitions with the building official so measurement and counting (for example, treatment of stair area) are consistent with building code practice.

Public comment and political context

Several members of the public spoke. Longtime resident Sharon urged caution and said the town’s character had changed with larger new homes; she said, “It’s lost its charm.” Other speakers and commissioners stressed the city’s housing affordability and workforce concerns and cited survey results and outreach showing support for more middle‑income housing. Planning staff and a consultant repeatedly noted that Leavenworth is largely built out, so ADU conversions and infill are the primary route to adding units.

Actions and work plan

Staff reported the city has completed consultant interviews for the comprehensive plan update and expects a consultant on board by the end of the month. For ADU code work, staff said they prepared a draft redline aligned with the state statute that the commission could refine; staff will:

- refine the ADU draft to use consistent definitions (gross floor area and “single‑family dwelling/structure”),
- produce lot‑coverage visualizations for representative lot sizes (3,000 and 6,000 sq. ft.),
- review Title 14 (parking) and recommend whether to adopt a simple per‑unit parking standard or an ADU‑specific override,
- coordinate with county staff on UGA utility language and clarify when city connections are required,
- confirm measurement standards (IRC/ANSI) with the building official and legal review, and
- return the revised draft to the commission for another hearing.

Ending

Commissioners did not adopt final code changes at the Feb. 5 meeting; the session was a staff‑led workshop to identify issues. Staff committed to produce draft ordinances and visual parcel examples and to coordinate with the county and public works before the commission’s next meeting.