Middle Housing

What is middle housing?

Middle housing encompasses a range of residential options that fall between traditional single-family homes and large-scale apartment complexes. Middle housing includes housing which has between two and eight units.

The key feature of middle housing is its capacity to enhance housing diversity while maintaining the overall character and aesthetics of a community. This approach supports more efficient land use and infrastructure utilization, contributing to a balanced and inclusive living environment.

It is important to note that middle housing does not necessarily imply a focus on affordability but rather emphasizes the coexistence of different housing styles within a neighborhood, promoting a more diverse and integrated community fabric.

How will recent Middle Housing Legislation affect Yarrow Point?

The Town of Yarrow Point is required under the Growth Management Act to provide up to two units per lot. These two units may take on several configurations adding up to two units comprised of two of the following:

Single Family Home, Accessory Dwelling Unit (Attached or Detached - ADU or DADU), Stacked Flat, Duplex, Cottage Housing, and Courtyard Apartments.

Units must still comply with development standards set for individual lots, meaning that new dwellings must comply with the existing height, setbacks, and lot coverage requirements.

For a more in depth review please see the Gap analysis document linked below.

Timeline

The following timeline shows what the Town proposes to do to meet the State Mandate for Middle Housing. The Town will be engaging regularly with residents to educate and keep everyone informed. Generalized stages of the project are expressed in Quarter Year time frames below.

Acronyms Used in Timeline: Town Council (TC), Planning Commission (PC), State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA)

What is the deadline for the Town to implement the required Middle Housing Policies?

Middle housing policies must be implemented by June 30, 2025; no later than 6 months after the Comprehensive plan update.

When will middle housing be built?

Middle housing is not built by the Town. Starting June 30th 2025, the Town must accept and review permit applications for projects which are consistent with the Town’s Municipal Code and the State laws.

How will this work be funded?

The development and implementation of middle housing policies will in part be funded by a state issued grant. The rest of the work will be funded by the Town’s general fund.

What might middle housing look like?

Middle housing is sometimes referred to as “house-scaled” as the overall size and massing of a unit is intended to be similar to that of single family homes, but provide additional dwelling opportunities.

The following is an image provide by the Department of Commerce to help illustrate how middle housing may fit into the existing single family context:

In addition to Single Family homes, Yarrow Point will only be required to allow for those middle housing typologies that provide up to two units per lot. Accessory dwelling units (ADUs and DADUs) will be counted as one unit (The Town’s municipal code currently allows this).

State definitions of middle housing typologies which Yarrow Point must allow:

"Cottage housing" means residential units on a lot with a common open space that either: (a) Is owned in common; or (b) has units owned as condominium units with property owned in common and a minimum of 20 percent of the lot size as open space.

"Courtyard apartments" means attached dwelling units arranged on two or three sides of a yard or court.

“Duplex” means a residential building with two attached dwelling units.

What might middle housing look like?