Marysville Planning Commission to discuss draft middle housing rules required under state HB 1110

What the records say

The City of Marysville Planning Commission's Feb. 11, 2025 agenda listed 'Middle Housing - State House Bill 1110' as item 5.3, a discussion item with direction requested on questions outlined in a staff memo ¹. The memo, dated Feb. 11, 2025 and submitted by Principal Planner Angela Gemmer, explains that Washington adopted HB 1110 in July 2023, requiring cities to allow middle housing in areas traditionally zoned for single-family detached homes ¹. Marysville is a Tier 2 city (population 25,000–75,000 in 2020), so the draft rules would allow two units per residentially zoned lot, and four units per lot within a quarter-mile walking distance of a major transit stop or when one unit is affordable housing ¹. The memo states the amendments are required to be adopted by June 2025 and that the Feb. 11 drafts are preliminary, with direction from the Planning Commission, affected city departments, and a public survey needed before a complete draft is prepared ¹. The packet includes draft definitions for MMC Title 22A and a draft Middle Housing Overlay chapter, MMC 22C.015, covering permitted housing types, unit density, affordable-housing provisions, dimensional standards, parking, infrastructure, design review, and nonconforming lots ¹. The records establish only what was scheduled and proposed; they do not establish the meeting's outcome ¹.

• HB 1110, adopted by Washington in July 2023, requires cities to allow middle housing in areas traditionally dedicated to single-family detached housing, and the memo states Marysville's amendments must be adopted by June 2025 ¹.
• As a Tier 2 city, Marysville's draft standards would allow two units per residentially zoned lot, and four units per lot within a quarter-mile of a major transit stop or when one unit is affordable housing ¹.
• Staff asked the Commission for direction on six discretionary questions, including whether to allow six units per lot in transit-adjacent or affordable-housing cases, how to treat ADUs alongside middle housing density, whether to reduce rear-yard setbacks for ADUs, and which dimensional-standards approach to adopt ¹.
• The packet includes a draft Middle Housing Overlay (MMC 22C.015) with draft parking standards such as no off-street parking within a half-mile of a major transit stop, one stall per unit on lots of 6,000 square feet or less, and two stalls per unit on larger lots; the memo notes the city intends to pursue a parking study subject to state Commerce review ¹.
• The records show only the scheduled discussion; they do not establish what the Commission decided or whether any draft was advanced ¹.

Why it matters

If adopted, the rules would allow duplexes, townhouses, cottage housing, and similar middle housing types on lots across Marysville's residential zones, changing what can be built in neighborhoods currently limited to single-family homes ¹. The memo also notes the city currently has no major transit stop but expects one when Community Transit's SWIFT bus rapid transit arrives, estimated by 2029, which would trigger the four-unit standard near that stop ¹. Analysis: The practical effect on any given neighborhood depends on which dimensional approach the Commission and Council ultimately choose; the memo presents options ranging from statutory-compliance-only standards to the state Commerce model ordinance recommendations, and the packet does not show which direction, if any, the Commission gave on Feb. 11 ¹.

What changed / what's next

• The Feb. 11, 2025 Planning Commission agenda placed draft middle housing code amendments implementing HB 1110 before the Commission as a discussion item seeking direction ¹.
• The packet included preliminary draft definitions and a draft Middle Housing Overlay chapter, described in the memo as incomplete pending Commission direction, input from other city departments, and a public survey ¹.
• The memo states the amendments are required to be adopted by June 2025, but the supplied records do not show whether the Commission gave direction on Feb. 11 or when a complete draft or public hearing will follow ¹.
• The memo says companion regulations on accessory dwelling units, design review, impact fees, unit lot subdivisions, and residential parking are being prepared and will be presented to the Commission on a similar timeframe ¹.
• The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome.