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Home My WebLink AboutCorrespondence - BOCCGRANT COUNTY OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS P O Box 37 EPHRATA WA 98823 (509) 754-2011 Concerning ADU Bills SSB 5235 (HB1276) and EHB 1337 Dear 7th, 13th, and 15th Legislative District's Legislators, The Grant County Board of County Commissioners has been following the status of several Bills regarding Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) proposed during the 2023 Legislative Session. Currently, there are two remaining Bills, as indicated above, that are particularly concerning to the commissioners and our county staff. Ironically, SHB 1133 (SB 5357) was an ADU Bill that could be supported by the county, due to its basic framework, but is no longer an active Bill. Currently, RCW 36.70A contains some basic framework regarding Accessory Dwelling Units but only as they pertain to cities. Grant County agrees that counties should be included to adopt development regulations to allow ADUs as an affordable housing initiative and commends the legislature for striving to incentivize such an initiative. Furthermore, Grant County was already prepared to adopt development regulations that allow ADUs in all zoning districts that currently allow single-family residential units, which is a large majority of the county and includes all of our Urban Growth Areas (UGAs). Our Development Services staff have been working with the WA State Department of Commerce Growth Management Services with recommendations for urban and rural areas to encourage accessory dwelling units. The draft ordinance that we shared with the Department of Commerce team was well received as a model ordinance that could be used for other counties to follow, even before any of the proposed Bills were introduced. It is the position of the Grant County Board of County Commissioners to not support the above- mentioned Bills for the following reasons: These two proposed Bills clearly exceed the basic framework needed to guide cities and counties in the implementation of sound development regulations for allowing accessory dwelling units and contain draconian regulations that are contrary to the affordable housing initiative and also will have unintended consequences in applying existing development regulations and the state adopted building codes. Unlike urban cities, rural counties must rely on well water and on-site sewer systems to accommodate rural residential development. Accessory dwelling units must rely on existing well and on-site septic capacities when adding ADUs to their parcels and in most cases, the existing systems can accommodate the ADU without costly system expansions and/or upgrades. Allowing multiple ADUs per parcel or allowing the condominiumization of the ADU would most certainly create the need for independent water and on-site sewer systems, which no longer keeps this initiative affordable or perhaps even doable for smaller parcels. This perhaps is not an issue where municipal services are available but certainly is in rural counties and even our UGAs where water availability continues to be an issue. Danny E. Stone Rob Jones Cindy Carter District 1 District 2 District 3 "To MEET CURRENT AND FUTURE NEEDS, SERVING TOGETHER WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTITIES, WHILE FOSTERING A RESPECTFUL AND SUCCESSFUL WORK ENVIRONMENT." Both Bills also have the perception that they are combining accessory dwelling units with short-term rentals and these two uses have no business being construed as being or being able to be the same thing. ADUs can truly be an affordable housing initiative, whereas the short-term rental has the exact opposite effect on housing affordability. Sound ordinances must identify both of these uses as separate and distinct uses with their own set of development regulations. These Bills, as proposed, will create the illusion that ADUs and short-term rentals are and should be regulated as being the same. The Recommendations for Encouraging Accessory Dwelling Units document that is published by the Department of Commerce Growth Management Services states, "construction of ADUs presents an opportunity to increase a community's supply of relatively affordable long-term housing. When an ADU is used as a short-term rental (STR) (defined as a housing unit being rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days), that housing unit functions as a lodging unit for visitors and not as a housing unit. As a result, some local governments completely prohibit the use of ADUs as STRs while others limit but don't completely prohibit that use. Grant County currently defines STRs as Commercial Hospitality Establishments and allows them to be used as such. The two proposed Bills would be contrary to how our current development regulations apply to transient residences and would also be contrary to what the WA State Residential Code regulates and allows. Also, the Department of Commerce document indicates that some studies make the case that ADUs being used as STRs make up only a small percentage of the overall stock of STRs (8 — 12%). This is absolutely false data for popular tourist destinations such as in Chelan County where approximately 80% of all ADUs are being used as STRs. Currently, the cost of an average single-family residence in Chelan County is $200,000 more expensive than in Grant County, which is a direct result of this ADU/STR debacle. The Grant County Board of County Commissioners urges the Legislative Body to NOT adopt either of these Bills as proposed but rather take another look at the framework that was proposed for HB 1133 if you feel that an ADU Bill is necessary. Thanks Very Much For Your Service, BOARD OF GRANT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, e�w R es, Chair Cindyrter, Vice -Chair Danny�E. Stone, Member N CC: Zak Kennedy Chris Young Jim Cook Email: tom.dent@leq.wa.gov (360) or Toll-free: (800) 562-6000 Representative Alex Ybarra — Quincy, WA (R) r.nnt.qr-f Infnrmqfinn- Website: Email: alex.vbarra(a�Ieg.wa.qov (360) or Toll-free: (800) 562-6000 15thLeg,is,lative District Senator Nikki Torres -- Contact Contact Information: Website: Email: Nikki.Torres@leg.wa.gov Phone: 360-786-7684 or Toll-free: (800) 562-6000 Representati"ve Bruce Chandler— Contact handler—Contact Information: Website: Email: bruce.chandler(@,leg.wa gov Phone: 360-786-7960 or Toll-free: (800) 562-6000 Representative Bryan Sandlin — Zillah Contact Information: Website: Email: b[yan.sandlin(cD ,Ieg.wa.qo Phone: 360-786-7874 or Toll-free: (800) 562-6000 7th 13th& 15thLEGISLATIVE DISTRICT LEGISLATOR�J 7t" Legis-11,ative District Senator Shelle Short — Addy, WA (R) r_nnf.qr_f lnfnrmqfinn-- Website: Home - Shelly Short (wastateleq.orq) Email: shelly.short@leq.wago -. 0 - (360) 786 — 7612 or Toll-free: (800) 562-6000 Regresentative Joel Kretz — Wauconda, WA (R) ('r%nf!nt%f 1nfnrmnfinn- Website: https://ioelkretz-houserepublicans.w Email: joel.kretz .leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7988 or Toll-free: (800) 562-6000 Re,presentative Ja,cquelin Maycumber — Republic, WA (R) ('-e%nfnt%f 1nfnrmnfinnw Website: https:Hiacg elinmaycumber.houserepublicans.wa. ov Email: 1acguelin.maycumberaleg.wa.gov (360) 786-7908 or Toll-free: (800) 562-6000 13th Legislative District Senator Judy-.Warnick — Moses LakeWA ('_r%nfnr--f Infe-irmnfinnn Website: Email: judy.warnick(�leq.wa.gov (360) or Toll-free: (800) 562-6000 Representative Tom Dent — Moses Lake, WA (R) r_nnf.qr_f Infnrmatinn- Website: - I -