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State Land Use Enacted Legislation
| Bill # | State | Year | Party | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
HB 1042 |
WA | 2023 | D | Building code reform, Commercial land, Density Increases, Environmental review, Minimum parking requirements, Planning for climate adaptation and hazards, Written findings, burden and standard of proof |
Provided by Furman
Summary
- Planning cities may not impose any of the following on an existing building that is zoned for commercial or mixed use:
- certain restrictions that prevent the addition of housing at a density up to 50 percent more than what is allowed in the underlying zone that permits multifamily housing;
- certain parking requirements and energy code requirements for additional housing;
- permitting requirements beyond those generally applicable to residential development;
- bulk regulations beyond those generally applicable to residential development;
- certain design requirements;
- prohibitions on the addition of housing units, with exceptions;
- permit denial for new housing units within an existing building due to the nonconformity of the existing building’s certain parking and bulk standards;
- and a transportation concurrency or State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) study.
- A city cannot deny a building permit application for new housing units in an existing building due to nonconformity of the existing structure.
- A city is not required to approve a building permit application if the new housing units cannot satisfy life safety standards.
- These standards must be incorporated into a city’s development and zoning regulations by July 1, 2024.
Provided by lawmakers
Bill Title
Concerning the use of existing buildings for residential purposes.