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A. Purpose. The purpose of this section is to:

1. Enhance opportunities for ownership housing;

2. Reduce development costs related to construction and the provision of utilities, which in turn may help to reduce housing prices in support of affordability goals;

3. More effectively set aside critical areas and natural resources as open space than would otherwise be allowed through the subdivision process; and

4. Achieve the planned density for a site that may not otherwise be met due to environmental and other physical constraints.

B. Applicability.

1. Generally. Unless otherwise specified in subsections B.2 and B.3 of this section, attached dwelling units are allowed through a conditional use permit process in zones R-4 through R-6. Attached dwelling units are allowed outright in zones R-8 through R-30, unless otherwise provided in subsections B.2 and B.3.

2. Willows/Rose Hill Neighborhood.

a. Two-unit attached dwelling units are an allowed use on individual lots in Single-Family Urban zones in the Willows/Rose Hill Neighborhood, provided that a minimum of 70 percent of the total dwelling units within the single-family portion of each residential subarea of the Willows/Rose Hill Neighborhood shall remain detached single-family dwellings.

b. Three-unit attached dwelling units and four-unit attached dwelling units may be allowed as part of a preliminary plat application in Single-Family Urban zones only as part of the demonstration project provided for in Policy N-WR-E-4 of the Redmond Comprehensive Plan to evaluate compatibility with the Willows/Rose Hill Neighborhood.

3. Bear Creek, Education Hill, Grass Lawn, North Redmond, Southeast Redmond, and Overlake Neighborhoods.

a. Two-unit attached dwelling units are an allowed use on individual lots in Single-Family Urban zones.

b. Three-unit attached dwelling units and four-unit attached dwelling units are allowed on individual lots in Single-Family Urban zones, with public notification and at least one neighborhood meeting required. The public notification and neighborhood meeting are not required in R-8 zones.

c. Attached dwelling units are not an allowed use in the North Redmond Wedge Subarea.

C. Requirements. Attached dwelling units are subject to all of the land use, density, site requirements, and development standards of the underlying zone with the following exceptions:

1. Minimum Lot Size. The minimum lot size for attached dwelling units in R-4, R-5, R-6, and RIN zones shall be based on a percentage of the average lot size of the underlying zone as presented in the zone use chart for the residential zone. (See RZC 21.08.020 through 21.08.140.)

a. The minimum lot size for a two-unit attached dwelling unit is equal to 150 percent of the average lot size for the underlying zone.

b. The minimum lot size for a three-unit attached dwelling unit is equal to 200 percent of the average lot size for the underlying zone.

c. The minimum lot size for a four-unit attached dwelling unit is equal to 250 percent of the average lot size for the underlying zone.

2. Lot Division.

a. For ground-oriented, side-by-side attached dwelling units, a single lot that meets the minimum lot size requirement of this section may be divided into separate lots and ownerships as part of the approval process. If separate lots are created, interior side setback standards no longer apply.

b. Where structures are built over property lines, or property lines are created that divide structures, and ownership is or can be divided, the entire structure shall meet the requirements of RMC Title 15, Buildings and Construction, based on the gross square footage of the structure before division and not based on the square footage of the individual units after division. A perpetual joint ownership and management agreement shall be created to manage contracts for the monitoring, maintenance, and emergency repair service for all fire protection systems for the entire structure.

3. Density.

a. Bear Creek, Education Hill, and Southeast Redmond Neighborhoods.

i. The allowed number of dwelling units for two-unit attached dwelling units shall be determined solely by the minimum lot size and lot division provisions of subsections C.1 and C.2 of this section.

ii. The allowed number of dwelling units for three- and four-unit attached dwelling units shall not exceed the allowed number of detached single-family dwelling units, exclusive of any other bonuses.

b. All Other Areas. The allowed number of dwelling units for two-, three-, and four-unit attached dwelling units shall not exceed the allowed number of detached dwelling units.

4. Design.

a. All attached dwelling units in Single-Family Urban zones shall meet the following design requirements in addition to those required by the City's adopted design standards, RZC 21.08.180, Residential Development and Architectural, Site, and Landscape Design Regulations.

i. Maintain the traditional character and quality of detached single-family dwelling units by using design elements, such as single points of entry noticeable from the street, pitched roofs, visible trim or framing around windows, porches, and chimneys.

ii. Be consistent in height, bulk, scale and style with nearby single-family residential uses.

iii. No side-by-side mirror image duplex designs shall be permitted.

iv. Each unit shall have separate front and/or rear access.

v. Locate surface parking for attached dwelling units in groups of no more than three stalls to appear more consistent with parking for single-family detached dwellings in the area. If parking areas include more than three stalls, they should be visually separated from the street or common areas through site planning, landscaping, or natural screening.

vi. Courtyard Apartments. The attached dwelling units shall be clustered around a courtyard or lawn.

vii. Stacked Flats. The stacked flats shall have upper and lower units and a common entrance and stairway shall be used to access the units.

b. New applications for three-unit and four-unit attached dwelling units in zones R-4 through R-6 in the Education Hill Neighborhood shall be accepted for lots no less than 500 feet from each other and new applications for duplex structures in R-4 through R-6 shall be accepted for lots no less than 250 feet from each other. This section shall apply until an evaluation of compatibility with the neighborhood subarea is completed. See Education Hill Neighborhood Plan Policy N-EH-19 and N-EH-20 in the Redmond Comprehensive Plan.

c. North Redmond Neighborhood – Additional Design Requirements.

i. Attached dwelling units shall be interspersed with other housing types, such as detached dwellings, or be separated from each other by dedicated open spaces or streets, and shall not be located adjacent to each other.

ii. Examples of dedicated open space include native landscaped areas, recreational space, community gathering spaces such as courtyards, and pocket parks.

iii. Dedicated open space and street separators shall be at least 35 feet wide.

iv. Dedicated open space shall be constructed contiguous to and connect to a new or existing sidewalk, pedestrian path, or bikeway, and shall be publicly accessible.

v. For projects five acres or less, no more than two occurrences of attached dwellings separated by dedicated open space or streets are permitted.

vi. For projects greater than five acres, no more than four occurrences of attached dwellings separated by dedicated open space or streets are permitted.

5. Review and Decision Procedures.

a. Bear Creek, Education Hill, Grass Lawn, North Redmond, Willows/Rose Hill, Southeast Redmond, and Overlake Neighborhoods.

i. Review and decision for two-unit attached dwelling units shall occur through the Type I process.

ii. Review and decision for three-unit and four-unit attached dwelling units shall occur through the Type II process; in the Willows/Rose Hill neighborhood it shall occur through the Type III process.

6. Affordable Housing Exception. In order to meet the City's objective of providing opportunities for the ownership of affordable family-size housing the following exceptions to the requirements of RZC 21.20, Affordable Housing, and some other requirements specifically provided for in this section apply:

a. Two-unit attached dwelling units where both units are made affordable to households earning 80 percent or less of area median income under the requirements specifically provided for in this section are allowed as part of a preliminary plat application for residential subdivisions of 10 units or more.

b. Two-unit attached dwelling units where both units meet the affordability requirements of this section shall not be subject to the density requirements set forth in the zone summary for the residential zone district, or the minimum lot size requirements of subsection C.1 of this section, but shall be subject to the minimum lot size requirements of the underlying zone as set forth in the zone use chart for the residential zone. (See RZC 21.08.020 through 21.08.140.) A covenant agreement as required by RZC 21.20.040 must be recorded for all two-unit attached dwelling units allowed under this section and meeting the affordability requirements of this section. (Ord. 2733; Ord. 2753; Ord. 2803; Ord. 2958; Ord. 3028; Ord. 3083)

Effective on: 7/2/2022