Dan Bertolet

Why a WA city is removing parking requirements and allowing corner stores Bothell is about to get "more Bothell," the city's mayor said. The city says updating its municipal code will make living there more affordable and welcoming.

"less pavement... more corner stores"

When it comes to local zoning reform, it takes herculean political efforts to allow things that most people want.

www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

Inclusionary zoning is a tax on housing Sometimes, policies have unintended consequences or unforeseen downsides

Sometimes the truth really is this simple:

"A housing tax is a bad way to create housing"

One defense of IZ is that it can enable upzones that wouldn't have been politically feasible otherwise. Unfortunately that comes with the downside of legitimizing bad policy and spreading the cancer.

"In reality, the pro-housing movement aims to unrig the housing market, expand access, bring down prices for consumers, and redistribute power and wealth from the rich to everyone else."

YIMBY is succeeding, so of course it triggers the progressive instinct to unleash the circular firing squad.

Bothell Drops Parking Mandates, Legalizes Neighborhood Corner Stores Citywide » The Urbanist # Bothell becomes the first city in either King or Snohomish County to fully eliminate off-street parking mandates in order to reduce costs for homebuilding. The move clearly solidifies the city as a ...

The elected leaders of Bothell, WA, a city of 51k just north of Seattle, rank among the biggest YIMBY heroes nationwide.

There's no lack of evidence that reforms like this are the right thing to do.

But in most cities there's a lack of leadership.

www.theurbanist.org/2025/07/10/b...

This Oregon bill, the first of its kind in the country that I'm aware of, just passed: 50-2 in the House, 28-2 in the Senate.

A lot will depend on rulemaking, but this opens the door to a Japan-like system where the state defines its own version of lower-density zones.

Oregon’s Zoning Reforms Are Working—But They Need Some Upgrades | Sightline Institute Six years after a monumental rezone, Gov. Kotek's HB 2138 will fill the gaps to more fully legalize starter homes.

Oregon led the nation on legalizing middle housing, and is now poised to lead again on improving the standards based on what's been getting built.

Two critical points:

- Allow middle housing with more units to be larger

- Don't burden it with development fees

www.sightline.org/2025/06/04/o...

In Vancouver a big chunk of the city's rentals are condos, right @jensvb.bsky.social? Any reason condo HOAs don't limit rentals more like they do in the US?

Thanks.

For a cap, I guess it would have to be first come first serve for people choosing to rent out their units, and it would cut off when the next rental would put the building over 50%. Nothing wrong with that I suppose.

Do you know of any data on the prevalence of owner-occupancy requirements in condos?

Connecticut has become the first US state to do what every US state should do:

It has put a total end to costly, arbitrary local requirements for new housing to include parking.

Massive, overdue win for housing and climate, for both people and the planet!

One big reason Washington now leads the pack on statewide housing abundance legislation is that it just passed the nation's strongest parking reform bill.

Here's what made that possible:

www.sightline.org/2025/05/16/h...

Washington Takes Statewide Zoning Reform to the Next Level | Sightline Institute There’s a healthy competition brewing between states that are taking action for housing abundance. But as of May 2025, Washington leads the pack. Its legislature just passed best-in-the-US bills on bo...

I'm calling it:

Washington has now accomplished more on statewide zoning reform than any other US state.

In the just ended 2025 legislative session, Washington lawmakers knocked out nation-leading parking and TOD bills, and more.

www.sightline.org/2025/05/15/w...

Yeah, such a shame that Catie was out of town, she was the driving force behind the parking bill.

How Portland, OR made housing more affordable In a word: density. New zoning rules in Portland, OR led to an increase in duplexes, tri-plexes, and quad-plexes on lots previously designated for single family homes. The new units typically sell for...

Wild to see national TV news emphasizing that you get more affordability and home ownership opportunities when you allow more density in areas previously reserved for single-detached houses.

www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news...

Update on WA's 2025 Housing Supply Billapalooza:

Signed by the Gov:
HB 1183, HB 1757, HB 1135

Awaiting signature:
SB 5184, HB 1491, HB 1096, HB 1576, SB 5148, HB 1403, SB 5571

Dead:
HB 1443, SB 5156, SB 5613

Info on most of those bills here:
www.sightline.org/2025/02/13/w...

Montana's Housing Miracle Strikes Twice | Sightline Institute Bipartisan efforts won a string of bills for more homes, lower costs, and less red tape for Montanans—with lessons for other states.

Montana giving Washington a run for its money on leading the nation on statewide reforms to boost housing.

One of those states has a red trifecta, while the other has a blue trifecta.

It's almost as if people of every political stripe need homes to live in.

www.sightline.org/2025/04/25/m...

Do you want to get in on the action to help make every year another Year of Housing?

The right stuff is a mix of experience, analysis, writing, and political strategy. If you think you've got it, please apply!

www.sightline.org/senior-resea...

WA bill HB 1576 that requires owner consent for historic landmarking has passed concurrence and now awaits the Governor's signature.

“Only two legislators voted against the bill that seeks to curtail weaponization of the landmarking process.”

www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news...

WA lawmakers pass major parking reform bill to boost housing A bill that aims to address housing supply and affordability in Washington by lowering parking requirements is headed to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.

“If we really want to open up opportunities for new housing, excessive parking mandates have got to go.”
- @citizen-cate.bsky.social

“Pro-housing advocates have changed the narrative and demanded action.”
- @jessbateman.bsky.social

www.knkx.org/politics/202...

Cities’ Bigger Future Can Look and Feel Beautiful—If We Build for It | Sightline Institute Takeaways Seattle has concentrated several decades of population growth within narrow corridors of the city, disproportionately affecting poor and BIPOC communities while failing to ask nearby detache...

Oops, right!

Would be sweet to see the Spokane six become the Seattle six but I'm not holding my breath.

www.sightline.org/2022/01/21/c...

What's the latest Seattle proposal for affordability requirements on a sixplex? 1110 legalizes sixplexes but only with two units at 60% AMI, which is tough to make pencil for private developers.

Yep, some of WA's housing bills need concurrance and all still need the Gov's signature, but they got over their biggest hurdles and that's cause for celebration...

...so please join us to do that this eve, 5pm at Stoup Brewing on Capitol Hill.

BONUS: ONE FREE DRINK FOR THE FIRST 50 TO ARRIVE!

Front of Link rail train with apartment buildings on both sides of the station.

ICYMI: after three years of advocacy from @futurewise.bsky.social and sponsorship by @staterepjuliareed.bsky.social, Washington passed the most significant state-level transit-oriented development mandate in the country with HB 1491. The bill now heads to @governorferguson.bsky.social for signature!

State Senate Greenlights Sweeping Transit-Oriented Housing Bill - The Urbanist # Three years in the making, HB 1491 would require Washington cities to zone for apartment buildings near rail stations and rapid bus stops. A compromise around housing affordability mandates finally ...

Good summary of WA's new homes-near-transit law.

The breakthrough compromise that got it passed (with a few R votes, even!): funded inclusionary zoning

www.theurbanist.org/2025/04/16/s...

WA's Year of Housing Redux?

Passed both chambers as of yesterday's cutoff:

SB 5184 - parking
HB 1491 - TOD w/funded IZ
HB 1096 - lot splitting
HB 1576 - landmarking
SB 5148 - accountability
HB 1403 - condo liability
HB 1183 - setbacks/facade mod.
HB 1757 - conversions
HB 1135 - GMA compliance

Thank you Rep Reed!!!

TOD just passed 30 - 18!

The WA legislature has been racking up the wins on housing abundance bills, and there may even be a couple more to come!

Please join @sightline.org for a happy hour to celebrate, this Friday at Stoup (formerly Optimism) on Capitol Hill.

www.sightline.org/wp-content/u...

WA HOUSING BILL UPDATE

Yesterday three of the remaining five passed:

HB 1096 - lot splitting
HB 1183 - setbacks/facade mod.
SB 5148 - housing accountability

Two more days left to pass two more good bills:

HB 1491 - TOD
SB 5613 - clear/objective stds.

Politics. Totally agree with you.