The housing and economic indictors featured in this month’s Builders Bulletin reflect the state of the market just prior to the start of the COVID-19 crisis in the Puget Sound region.

The proposed amendments include changes to their residential zoning districts and add new districts.

This set of ordinances changes the city’s zoning code to encourage the development of more affordable housing and choice, including the construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs), cottages, duplexes, and triplexes in all single-family residential zones.

The affected codes include: the 2018 Seattle Building Code, Residential Code, Mechanical Code, Fuel Gas Code, Existing Building Code, Energy Code, Plumbing Code, and Electrical Code (2020 National Electrical Code with Seattle amendments).

MBAKS, BIAW, and others continue to urge Governor Jay Inslee and local governments to delay the scheduled July 1 effective date of the new energy code. In a positive development, the city of Seattle has announced that it will delay implementation until November 1.