CITY OF SHORELINE

 

SHORELINE CITY COUNCIL

SUMMARY MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING

 

Saturday, February 5, 2005                                                                                                     

Cottage Housing Bus Tour

11:00 a.m.                                                                                                                               

 

City Council:

 

PRESENT:       Mayor Hansen, Deputy Mayor Jepsen, Councilmembers Chang, Fimia, Grace and Ransom

 

ABSENT:        Councilmember Gustafson

 

Planning Commission:

 

PRESENT:       Chair Harris, Commissioners Hall, Koboi, and MacCully

 

ABSENT:        Vice Chair Piro, Commissioners McClelland, Phisuthikul and Sands

 

STAFF:            Paul Cohen, Planner III

 

GUEST:           Jim Soules, cottage housing developer

 

 

The tour started from the parking lot at the southern end of the Interurban Trail at 11:00 p.m.  In addition to City Councilmembers and Planning Commissioners, a few members of the public also attended and rode the bus.  Unless indicated, Mayor Hansen and Deputy Mayor Jepsen visited the sites but provided their own transportation.

 

Paul Cohen, Project Manager for the cottage housing issue, provided background information as the bus was en route to the first stop. He said that the cottage housing regulations were added to the Development Code in 2000 and fine-tuned in 2003.  He said that he has discouraged those projects he did not think would successfully meet all the criteria, but even the successful projects have generated some controversy.

 

Continuing, he reviewed that the intent of cottage housing is to provide an alternative to larger houses on conventional residential lots.  Cottage housing implements the Shoreline Comprehensive Plan policy to encourage a variety of residential design alternatives and helps the City meet the requirements of the Growth Management Act.  Cottage housing must be compatible with the existing neighborhood and comply with all the design standards in the Development Code.  He emphasized that the projects may be even further conditioned and must go through the conditional use process.  Throughout the tour, Mr. Cohen described how site design regulations create quality and cohesive cottage housing communities.  At each site, he pointed out how requirements for open space, covered porches, parking, landscaping and shared amenities are integrated into the site design.  He emphasized that it is always a balance between being prescriptive in the regulations to ensure quality and allowing the developer some flexibility for the specific site. 

 

As the tour progressed, there were many questions and comments, and discussion of what was seen at each of the sites.

 

Madrona Cottages at 158th and Dayton Ave. N.

 

Mr. Cohen demonstrated how the development at this site meets the criteria, noting that 12 units were allowed at the time of approval in 2001.  He said this would not be allowed under the current code.  He discussed the importance of tree preservation at this site.  He said that landscaping is required to preserve significant trees and filter views of the development from the surrounding neighborhood. 

 

Greenwood Cottages at Greenwood and N. 160th Pl.

 

Mayor Hansen and Deputy Mayor Jepsen did not tour this site.  Mr. Cohen noted that this is probably the most successful of the projects built in Shoreline.  Here the group had the opportunity to go inside one of the cottages.  It was noted that only two of the cottages have changed owners.  The cottages sell for about $300,000.  The owners of the cottage emphasized the sense of community felt by those living here.  This project has a common building, which contributes to that communal feeling.  The group visited the community building and there was extended discussion of this form of housing.  The developer of the cottages, Jim Soules, joined the tour at this point. 

  

Fremont Cottages at 16334 Fremont Ave. N.

 

Deputy Mayor Jepsen did not tour this site.  Here Mr. Cohen emphasized that although there was a potential for five cottages, only four were constructed in order to save the significant trees on the site.  There are six parking stalls.  The group was given a tour of an uninhabited cottage.

 

Reserve Cottages at 20215 15th Ave. NW

 

This site is currently under construction.  It has six units less than 1,000 square feet, with nine associated parking spaces.  This is a very narrow site, so that the cottages appear taller.  There was discussion of whether the width of a cottage housing site should be required to be 100 feet, rather than 80 feet. 

 

Chrysalis Development

 

The bus drove by this development, which started as cottage housing but was changed to construction of eight detached single-family homes with a private access road.

 

Hopper Cottages at NE corner of 8th Ave. NW and NW 195th St.

 

The bus stopped briefly at this site, which is early in the construction phase.  This site is unique, in that it is on a corner lot.   Five houses are proposed here.  Mr. Cohen noted that the houses must present toward the street. 

 

Councilmember Fimia asked for the Redmond cottage housing regulations.

 

The bus returned to the Interurban Trail and the meeting adjourned at 2:00 p.m.

 

 

_____________________

Sharon Mattioli, MMC

City Clerk