Somerset Middle Housing Survey Results and City Planning Commission Meeting

Somerset Middle Housing Survey Results and City Planning Commission Meeting

Stay informed. Get involved. Learn about Somerset Impacts.
Important message, please translate: 重要信息，请翻译成您的语言

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The City Planning Commission is meeting tomorrow night (3/12 at 6:30PM) to discuss the current Middle Housing draft code! If you'd like to provide input, please attend. You can also register as a speaker: Planning Commission Oral Communications | City of Bellevue. The speaker signup form is available at noon on the day of the meeting.
Meeting details: Planning Commission Meeting | City of Bellevue

Draft Code: https://bellevuewa.gov/sites/default/files/media/pdf_document/2025/dsd-02242025-middle-housing-luca-february-draft.pdf

Informational PPT: PowerPoint Presentation

Notably, the following changes are proposed to encourage middle housing and may be of importance to you:

1. Our Land Use District will change from “Single-Family Residential” to “Suburban Residential” to allow for increased density. Water, sewer, and power lines were designed to accommodate the current population density. It is currently unclear if the city considered the effect of a significant load increase on this infrastructure.
2. Floor Area to lot-size Ratio (FAR) changes: The new code will reduce the allowable home size for single-family properties. The new restriction will mean that some Somerset homes are already bigger than what's allowed. Of course, this doesn't mean you will have to reduce the size of your home, but it may impact what you're allowed to do in the future. Multifamily units, on the other hand, have higher allowances. ADUs are exempt from FARs allowing for additional square footage.
3. Building height restrictions are relaxed: Views could change for those who live on the border of Somerset boundaries (e.g., Division 6, Division 8).
4. The minimum number of parking spaces required for multi-unit structures is 1 per unit leading to increased street parking.

There is a lot of complexity in the proposed changes, so we encourage residents to attend the meetings offered by the City of Bellevue to learn more about what changes are coming and provide input on issues that concern them.

As a reminder: Somerset covenants have single-family restrictions, which Bellevue will not enforce. The SCA lacks the authority to enforce these covenants, so it is important for homeowners to take responsibility for enforcing them.
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Somerset Survey Results are in:

Please refer to the following two links from City of Bellevue for more information:

• Middle Housing Code Amendments | City of Bellevue
  

• Middle Housing Frequently Asked Questions | City of Bellevue