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A. Purpose. The purpose of this section is to encourage development of affordable housing by providing density bonus, dimensional standard modification, and modification of other requirements for affordable housing projects.

B. Definitions.

1. Mixed-income multifamily development” means a multifamily development project that includes both market rate and affordable housing units.

2. Religious organization” means the federally protected practice of a recognized religious assembly, school, or institution that owns or controls real property as defined in RCW 35A.63.300, now or as hereafter amended.

3. Affordable housing suffix” means a suffix consisting of AH and a number, enclosed in parentheses and appended to the Land Use District classification applied to a property. These suffixes correspond to alternate multifamily Land Use Districts which are applicable to affordable housing development when consistent with the requirements of subsection I of this section.

4. Reference land use district” means the land use district located within 500 feet of a property eligible for an affordable housing suffix rezone used to determine the density available for the rezone. The reference land use district is identified using the criteria provided in subsection I.3 of this section.

C. Applicable Procedures. An application to utilize the provisions of this section shall be processed through the required land use review for the project. If a land use approval is not required for the project, the application shall be processed through the Building Permit review.

D. Eligibility.

1. Density Bonus. The following residential development, including both new development and rehabilitation projects, shall be eligible to receive a density bonus and other modifications as provided in this section:

a. Mixed-Income Multifamily Development. Mixed-income multifamily development in any applicable land use district when the development includes affordable housing; and

b. Affordable Housing Development. The following ownerships and locations of residential development when all housing units are affordable housing:

i. Owned or controlled by a religious organization and located in Single-Family Residential Land Use Districts; and

ii. Owned or controlled by a religious organization, nonprofit organization, or public agency, except for Bellevue Parks Department, Bellevue Community Development Department, or any public utility entity, and located in all land use districts in which multifamily dwellings are permitted, including property with an affordable housing suffix.

2. Affordable Housing Suffix Rezone. The following ownerships and locations of property shall be eligible to be rezoned under Part 20.30A LUC, adding an affordable housing suffix for multifamily development and other modifications as provided in this section:

a. Owned or controlled by a religious organization; and

b. Located in any Single-Family Residential Land Use District; and

c. Located within 500 feet of a Land Use District where multifamily housing or commercial uses are permitted; and

d. Located on an arterial street or located:

i. Within one-half mile of a transit stop that receives service at least four times per hour for 12 or more hours per day; or

ii. Within one-half mile of a future light rail or bus rapid transit station scheduled to begin service within two years; or

iii. Within one-quarter mile of a transit stop that receives service at least two times per hour for 12 or more hours per day.

e. Exceptions.

i. Property owned by a religious organization but not meeting all other eligibility requirements shall be eligible to be rezoned under Part 20.30A LUC when:

(1) Part of a contiguous ownership including property meeting all eligibility requirements; and

(2) Not separated from contiguous eligible property by rights-of-way.

ii. The Director is authorized to determine whether a property meets arterial street access criteria.

E. Density Bonus.

1. Mixed-income multifamily development as provided in subsection D.1.a of this section may exempt 1 bonus market rate unit for each equivalent-sized affordable unit provided, up to 15 percent above the maximum density allowed in the underlying land use district.

2. Affordable housing development as provided in subsection D.1.b of this section may receive a bonus of 50 percent above the maximum density allowed in the underlying land use district.

F. Dimensional Standard Modification.

1. Mixed-Income Multifamily Development as provided in subsection D.1.a of this section may replace the dimensional requirements in LUC Chart 20.20.010 with those in Chart 20.20.128.F.1. Applicable dimensional requirements in LUC Chart 20.20.010 but not included in Chart 20.20.128.F.1 shall continue to apply, including applicable footnotes.

Chart 20.20.128.F.1 Modified Dimensional Requirements for Mixed-Income Multifamily Development

Residential

LAND USE CLASSIFICATION

R-1

R-1.8

R-2.5

R-3.5

R-4

R-5

R-7.5

R-10

R-15

R-20

R-30

DIMENSIONS

Minimum Lot Area (Thousands of Sq. Ft.)

30.4

17.4

11.7

8.7

7.4

6.3

4.1

8.5

8.5

8.5

8.5

Dwelling Units per Acre

1.2

2.1

2.9

4.0

4.6

5.8

8.6

11.5

17.3

23.0

34.5

Maximum Lot Coverage by Structures (percent)

35

35

35

35

40

40

40

40

40

40

40

Maximum Hard Surface Coverage (percent)

75

75

75

75

80

80

90

90

90

90

90

Maximum Impervious Surface (percent)

45

45

45

45

55

55

55

70

70

70

70

Residential – Nonresidential Districts

LAND USE CLASSIFICATION

O

OLB

OLB 2

NB

CB

F2

F3

DIMENSIONS

Dwelling Units per Acre

23.0

34.5

17.3

34.5

34.5

34.5

Maximum Lot Coverage by Structures (percent)

40%

40%

40%

50%

40%

40%

Maximum Building Height

45

60

75

30

60

75

75/135

Floor Area Ratio

1.15

2. Affordable housing development as provided in subsection D.1.b of this section may replace the dimensional requirements in LUC Chart 20.20.010 with those in Chart 20.20.128.F.2. Applicable dimensional requirements in LUC Chart 20.20.010 but not included in Chart 20.20.128.F.2 shall continue to apply, including applicable footnotes.

Table 20.20.128.F.2. Modified Dimensional Requirements for Affordable Housing Development

Residential

LAND USE CLASSIFICATION

R-1

R-1.8

R-2.5

R-3.5

R-4

R-5

R-7.5

R-10 (AH-1)

R-15 (AH-2)

R-20 (AH-3)

R-30 (AH-4)

DIMENSIONS

Minimum Lot Area (Thousands of Sq. Ft.)

23.3

13.3

9.0

6.7

5.7

4.8

3.1

8.5

8.5

8.5

8.5

Dwelling Units per Acre

1.5

2.7

3.8

5.3

6.0

7.5

11.3

15.0

22.5

30.0

45.0

Maximum Lot Coverage by Structures (percent)

35

35

35

40

40

40

40

40

40

40

40

Maximum Hard Surface Coverage (percent)

75

75

75

75

80

80

90

90

90

90

90

Maximum Impervious Surface (percent)

45

45

45

55

55

55

65

70

70

70

70

Residential – Nonresidential Districts

LAND USE CLASSIFICATION

O

OLB

OLB 2

NB

CB

F2

F3

DIMENSIONS

Dwelling Units per Acre

30.0

45.0

22.5

45.0

45.0

45.0

Maximum Lot Coverage by Structures (percent)

40%

40%

40%

50%

40%

40%

Maximum Building Height

45

60

75

30

60

75

75/135

Floor Area Ratio

1.5

G. Modification of Other Applicable Requirements. For eligible residential development as provided in subsection D of this section, the following requirements of this Code may be modified through the procedures outlined in subsection C of this section, to the extent necessary to accommodate affordable housing units on site:

1. Parking Requirements. The percent of compact parking stalls may be increased up to 75 percent of the total required parking. Tandem parking stalls are permitted to the extent feasible to satisfy required parking ratios.

2. Building Height. Except in transition areas and the Shoreline Overlay District, the maximum building height in R-10, R-15, R-20, and R-30 Land Use Districts and for properties with an AH suffix may be increased by up to 12 feet for those portions of the building(s) at least 20 feet from any property line.

3. Open Space. The open and recreation space requirement within a residential planned unit development may be reduced to 35 percent of gross land area. All other requirements of LUC 20.30D.160 shall continue to apply.

H. Attached Housing Within Subdivisions. Affordable housing development as provided in subsection D.1.b of this section may be permitted as attached multifamily dwelling units in single-family land use districts when meeting the following criteria:

1. The attached multifamily dwelling units shall be reviewed through a subdivision, Chapter 20.45A LUC, or short subdivision, Chapter 20.45B LUC, process, provided nothing in this subsection shall affect the allowance to build attached multifamily dwelling units through a planned unit development, Part 20.30D LUC;

2. Multifamily dwelling units within a subdivision or short subdivision may be considered as unit lot subdivision, with each lot accommodating attached multifamily dwelling units as a parent lot and individual unit lots created for the attached multifamily dwelling unit, and shall also be reviewed for compliance with LUC 20.45A.065 for subdivisions or LUC 20.45B.057 for short subdivisions;

3. A proposal to create a Unit Lot Subdivision with a Parent Lot and Unit Lots may be reviewed as part of a single proposal for a subdivision or short subdivision;

4. An attached multifamily dwelling unit shall not be placed on or across any parent lot line within the subdivision or short subdivision;

5. The attached multifamily dwelling units may only be duplexes and triplexes;

6. No more than 50 percent of the units within the subdivision or short subdivision shall be attached multifamily dwelling units; and

7. The attached multifamily dwelling structure shall comply with all applicable dimensional requirements.

I. Affordable Housing Suffix.

1. Purpose. The purpose of the affordable housing suffix is to allow multifamily affordable housing development subject to the requirements of this subsection.

2. Applicability.

a. This subsection applies to properties meeting the eligibility criteria of subsection D.2 of this section and properties with an affordable housing suffix.

b. Increased density provided by this subsection is only available to development proposals meeting the requirements of this subsection on property with an affordable housing suffix.

3. Rezone Criteria. Owners of property meeting all eligibility criteria of subsection D.2 of this section may apply for a rezone, under Part 20.30A LUC, to append an affordable housing suffix to the property’s existing Land Use District.

a. Reference Land Use District. The affordable housing suffix shall be determined based on the eligible property’s reference Land Use District. The reference Land Use District shall be the highest density land use district located within 500 feet of the eligible property.

b. Suffix Available for Rezone. Chart 20.20.128.I.1 identifies the affordable housing suffixes associated with reference Land Use Districts. The applicant may request up to the highest affordable housing suffix associated with the eligible property’s reference Land Use District.

Table 20.20.128.I.1. Affordable Housing Suffix Eligibility

Reference Land Use District

Associated Affordable Housing Suffix

R-10, PO

(AH-1)

R-15, NB

(AH-2)

R-20, O, GC

(AH-3)

R-30, BR-CR, BR-ORT, BR-RC, CB, DT (Any), EG-TOD, EM (Any), F1, F2, F3, LI, NMU, OLB, OLB 2, NMU

(AH-4)

4. Development with Suffix.

a. Increased Density. Development on a property with an affordable housing suffix may conform to the associated multifamily Land Use District identified in Chart 20.20.128.I.2, including associated dimensional standard modifications identified in subsection F.2 of this section, instead of the underlying Land Use District when all housing units are affordable housing.

Table 20.20.128.I.2. Alternate Land Use Districts Associated with Affordable Housing Suffixes

Affordable Housing Suffix

Associated Land Use District

(AH-1)

R-10

(AH-2)

R-15

(AH-3)

R-20

(AH-4)

R-30

b. Religious Facilities. The Director may administratively consider, approve or disapprove the redevelopment of an existing religious facility subject to the criteria set forth in Part 20.30E LUC for an Administrative Conditional Use, provided the following criteria can be met:

i. The proposed religious facility is part of a proposal that meets all requirements of this section; and

ii. The gross square footage of the new religious facility is less than or equal to the existing gross square footage of the religious facility it will replace. (Ord. 6743, 6-26-23, §§ 5 – 12; Ord. 6626, 12-6-21, § 6)