By More Options for Accessory Residences (MOAR), a group of citizens concerned with the future of the city, housing availability and affordability. We have diverse backgrounds, experiences and housing situations, but we’re all Seattleites who want our city to allow more options for accessory residences. For us, our neighbors, and future generations.

For the last decade, backyard cottages — also known as Detached Accessory Dwelling Units, or DADUs — have been popping up all over Seattle’s neighborhoods. Based on their success, making backyard cottages and mother in law apartments easier to permit and build was one of the important recommendations of the City’s 2015 Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) Final Report (labled SF1 in the report).

After Councilmember O’Brien introduced land use code revisions to open the door for more of this important housing type, a small, wealthy group of Queen Anne homeowners successfully derailed the ordinance. Now the City of Seattle is now starting over and plans to study in depth the impact of accessory dwellings.

Because of their size and location, backyard cottages are an almost invisible form of increasing neighborhood density. They have many other benefits:

• They begin to undo past exclusionary land-use wrongs by opening up our city’s parks, schools and other amenities to people that could never afford to rent or buy a multi-bedroom single family detached home in the same neighborhood
• Many older Seattleites who want to age in place see backyard cottages as a solution. Backyard cottages help people finance their retirements, or facilitate multi-generational living arrangements, or downsize while maintaining neighborhood connections.
• They are a perfect size for our smaller households (2.1 people according to the latest demographics) and are relatively more affordable
• An investment in DADUs is a powerful disincentive to future tear downs and the greater environmental, visual and noise impact of out of scale McMansions.

Given the scarcity of housing and astonishing escalation of rents and home prices, the very minimum is to allow more accessory dwelling units into Single Family zoning. This is a perfect opportunity to look beyond the backyard cottage at what more we could do to solve our housing shortage.

1. Change zone name from ‘Single Family’ to ‘Residential.’ Our current ‘Single Family’ has a long history of duplexes, triplexes, corner stores and apartments, prior to downzoning, and renaming the zone removes a mental roadblock about what residential areas are for: people.
2. Waive building permit fees for 5 years for AADUs and DADUs. Portland uses this incentive to permit nearly one per day, 6 times the rate of Seattle’s accessory dwelling unit production.
3. Use Green Building incentives similar to other permit types: Allow 10% increase in size and height for projects on lots over 4000 SF. Allow 20% increase for lots over 5000 SF.
4. Housing Opportunity Overlay. Create a ring overlay within 10 minute walkshed of schools, parks, urban villages, arterials and frequent transit, where additional housing is desired. Allow Residential Small Lot zoning without MHA in Overlay. Make parking requirements for additional units voluntary
5. Upgrading non-conforming housing types and uses, such as duplexes, established before 1995. There are 4300 grandfathered duplexes and triplexes within SF zones and they are subject to different rules such as continuing use and limitations on expansion/upgrades. They should have the same flexibility under the code that applies to their neighbors in SF zones.
6. Buffering detached houses from higher zones: If adjacent zoning is not SF 5000 zoning, allow flexible increase in height, or setbacks to help with transition to other zones (LR, NC)
7. Make accessory dwelling units easier to built. Allow exceptions for handrails and parapets over height limit. Decks over 18” and covered areas should not count toward accessory use square footage, but should have stand alone total. Allow separate metering of utilities. When expanding a garage/existing non-conforming use, allow vertical expansion in line with existing structure, rather than to setbacks. Allow extra height for flat roofs when used as a green roof.
8. Study using Floor Area Ratio to restrict size of development and incentivize additional housing units. Currently we are seeing many new single dwellings that dwarf the house that was torn down. On a 5000 SF lot, with lot coverage at 35%, and a height limit of 30’, we currently allow a house to be 5250 SF. Using a .5 FAR for single dwelling unit properties, allowing .7 for two dwelling units and .8 for three dwellings per lot, the same property would allow 2500 SF, 3500 SF or 4000 SF. Restricting maximum FAR will make teardowns/McMansions less viable, put a break on gentrification, and insure that many more housing units and options are built. FAR limitations will create many lots with dwellings with mix of sizes and prices.
9. Double Ownership. Allow split ownership of lots with existing house and new cottage, like a fee simple subdivision, provided the cottage was legally established. Create template for condominium-like agreements to share lot ownership between existing house and new cottage. Seattle has no starter homes and this would create new opportunity for ownership. If we agree ownership is an aspiration, creating more affordable options such as this would be desirable.
10. Allow homeowners to qualify for small loans from Office of Housing from pool of MHA payments when creating additional dwellings. One of the key criticisms of MHA is whether affordable housing created will be well distributed, and by making the available loans applicable at residential scale, on a parcel by parcel basis, there will be new affordable housing integrated into every neighborhood. The other difficulty most people face when creating a DADU is securing financing, and having an additional source would help many owners create their own.

A Call to Action:

Here are 5 ways to participate in the vital discussion around backyard cottages and the future of Seattle's neighborhoods. 

1. Sign this petition: 

More cottages!

2.Email the City:

 ADUEIS@seattle.gov

3. Email PLANNING AND ZONING COMMITTEE MEMBERS: 

mike.obrien@seattle.gov, lisa.herbold@seattle.gov, rob.johnson@seattle.gov lorena.gonzalez@seattle.gov

4. Attend a meeting: 

 EIS Public Scoping Meetings/Open House, October 26, 2017, 6:00–7:30 p.m. Location: Hale’s Ales (in the Palladium), 4301 Leary Way NW, Seattle, WA 98107

5. Join the conversation on Facebook: 

Backyard Cottages

Congratulations to the whole Team and a huge thanks to Historic Seattle for the the recognition of the Robert Reichert House and Studio with the 2017 Outstanding Modern Preservation award last night!

Project team:

Clients : Reichert Studio
Heidi and Darin

Contractor: Dboone Construction
Dave Boone Project manager, Luke Marcum Site super

Architect : CAST architecture
Stefan Hampden, principal  & Brian Campbell, associate.

Structural Engineer: TSE Engineering
Keith Ryan PE

Envelope Engineer: RDH building Science inc
Dan Rundle

Historic Seattle - 2017 Outstanding Modern Preservation Award

Abridged project team at the awards left to right : Luke, Dave, Stefan, Darin, Heidi and Jeffrey 

Historic Seattle Dinner and awards ceremony at Washington Hall.

New stucco facade of the Reichert House & Studio complete with shadow paintings

Interior stairs with view of "door to heaven"

Retooled entry of completed project

We're almost done with a believe it or not historical renovation of a mid-century architect's own house--more to come! 

There is a certain ethereal, minimal quality to a room without walls, without columns, without visible support. 

At Rainier Beach, our classroom building has a 24' x 24' covered outdoor space, with a translucent roof components, cantilevering off the building. Last week, they put up the trusses and now the skeleton of the space is taking shape, and I'm pretty excited.  The Big Cantilever can be absolutely magic on a visceral level, where the structure's logic defies gravity.  

Now can you be begin to perceive the core of the design: heavy elements buttressed into a hillside, between two groves of trees, with a translucent wedge floating over a simple gathering space, out of the rain, with the farmland stretching out, uninterrupted.  

We are hiring again, this time for a Project Architect position.  If you want to join our team, here is the job description: 

The candidate will work under the direct leadership of a principal/project manager and will assist with all aspects of the design and production of residential, commercial and public architectural works. The candidate will be tasked with collaborative design with a principal through Schematic Design, then be responsible for Design Development, Construction Documents, Permitting and Construction Administration. Additional duties may include some production of marketing materials as needed.

Qualifications:
•    First and foremost you are an exceptional designer who excels working in a collaborative and creative environment
•    A ‘can do’ work attitude on all tasks from the mundane to the extraordinary
•    Solid verbal, written, and graphic communication skills in order to evenly manage day to day affairs with clients and contractors
•    A well rounded understanding of the technical aspects of materials use, construction techniques and details, especially light wood framing and building envelopes.  
•    Able to reliably estimate design time required for a project, and meet promised schedules. 
•    A firm grasp of Seattle’s Land use and building codes, as well as permitting requirements. 
•    Ability to complete a single family residential construction document set with minimal oversight. 
•    Ability to successfully navigate Seattle’s DCI with minimal oversight. 
•    A Bachelors or Master’s degree in architecture from an accredited university is required.  
•    Architectural license preferred but not required. 
•    Experience with BuiltGreen, LEED or Passive House would be beneficial.
•    5+ years of experience.

Technical skills:
•    Highly proficient with architectural drafting software, preferably ArchiCAD  (Note – we do not use AutoCAD).  We will train if you don’t have ArchiCAD experience but are ready to learn. 
•    Highly proficient with Sketchup
•    Highly proficient with Adobe creative suite, with an emphasis on Photoshop and InDesign
•    Familiar with Microsoft Office suite, emphasis on Word and Excel

CAST architecture is a small full service architectural firm specializing in residential design and small scale public and commercial works. Our office is friendly and low-key. We enjoy working collaboratively, have a tradition of Friday afternoon design crits, and actively foster a team approach in all of our endeavors. We pride ourselves in promoting a healthy work/life balance and passions and interests outside the office. 

Submit a cover letter, resume and samples of design work digitally to employment@CASTarchitecture.com. We will review and respond to everyone by October 30th at the latest. 

No phone calls or hand-delivered applications please.

 

"Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
An' if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know … Should I stay or should I go?"   - The Clash

Ahh, the question that keeps re-modelers awake at night. It may seem like an achievable idea but trying to maintain a normal lifestyle in the middle of a construction zone is a test for most families. Before you commit to this restless journey we encourage you to consider the following complications. 

A general breakdown of the positives and negatives of remaining in your home. 

Positives

• Save the cost of renting
• Avoid the hassle of relocating your family and items

Negatives

• Rise and Shine - Construction days start early
• Construction is Dirty Business - Prepare for dust and debris
• Restricted Area - Limited access to parts of your home
• Black Out - System upgrades will require coordination and may be inconvenient
• Time is Money - Any delays in schedule will increase the project's price tag
• Power Tools are not Subtle - Construction sites are extremely noisy
• Health Concerns - Every remodel comes with a certain amount of risk of exposure to lead and asbestos, especially in older homes

Also of consideration when living in a construction zone is the associated health risks. The severity of this exposure is dependent on several factors including how well the construction area can be sealed and the age of the home being renovated. Homes that pre-date the 1970's are extremely likely to contain lead paint which can pose serious health hazards; especially for young children. If the area of remodel can be completely quarantined then it's worth further consideration, but if your separation plan is a thin plastic sheet, start packing your bags. 

The final significant consideration is all about you; well your sanity. You will have an exclusive front row seat to the destruction and chaos occurring in your own home. Yes, you are excited about a transformation but being privy to the raw construction process may result in more stress than intrigue. This again is dependent on the level of compartmentalization achievable and your temperament. 

If you are asking our opinion here it is - if you have kids, and are renovating your kitchen plus a few other spaces - GO. If you are not remodeling with children in tow and the area of construction can be sectioned off then consider staying. The potential for monetary savings is limited but the metal taxation is real so take some time to think about the trade-offs. 

Still can't decide? Use the diagram below to figure out your situation. 

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After a 4 year process, we've finally started construction!  We can't wait to see it take shape--it fits right into the trees perfectly! 

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How the Code currently allows a bigger house than any conceivable house plus DADU option

Will Seattle’s move to make more Backyard Cottages lead to a more sustainable city or just amplify environmental impacts?

You might think that more DADUs would lead to more environmental impacts—after all, construction takes fantastic amounts of resources (including capital). Being in the backyard, DADUs should increase of impervious area, lead to the loss of tree canopy, compound parking conflicts, and stretch City services even thinner, right? Isn’t the shadow of neighbor’s potential cottage going to forever keep me from growing the perfect heirloom tomato?

Last month, Marty Kaplan, under the aegis of the Queen Anne Community Council QACC, appealed a SEPA Determination of Non-Significance (DNS) with regard to changing certain characteristics of the Accessory Dwelling code.  

Right off the bat, it is important to clarify that a DNS doesn’t state that there will be zero environmental impact, but as city wide code, it is impossible to evaluate impact on each individual lot without a real project associated with the lot.  This is a ‘Non-Project Action.” While you may be affected by something built next door, until there is a project conceived there, the City has no method to evaluate its environmental impact. In fact, the original backyard cottage ordinance was given a DNS, an inconvenient fact not lost on the Kaplan, since he helped craft it while on the Planning Commission.  

Today I finished testifying on behalf of the City on the Appeal, to establish a plain truth: Even if the City could evaluate the site by site impacts, they would show the City allows any single house to be much larger than any combination of house + DADU. Additional DADUs or larger DADUs are a reduction of environmental impact in comparison. 

Furthermore, the number of people allowed to live there stays the same (8 people per lot), although more of them would be new renters much to QACC’s dismay. Energy code, tree protections, stormwater code, etc all stay the same under the new code. The impervious area actually goes down--by eliminating the parking requirement. How can there be significant environmental impacts, if the rest of the code is identical and the only difference is the number of families (not people allowed) per lot?

The SF zone is a zero sum environment—there is only so much buildable area, and if you choose to build a cottage, its lot coverage must deduct from the maximum size of the main house.  And because it can’t be as tall, there is less available volume. It is a prima facia case, and in my mind, underlines the DNS. 

As a proxy for all the land use regulations, we created a schematic diagram to illustrate the potential buildable envelop as a single family house, house with an accessory structure, and a house with a DADU.  We repeated the diagram under the new ordinance.  In all cases, the biggest volume was the solitary single family McMansion allowed by right today. 
You only need to walk by a tear down house replacement and a backyard cottage to understand how the argument about which is better per QACC’s concern about neighborhood character is inverted.   The QACC’s exhibits inadvertently made this exact point by showing an entire street of adorable bungalows replaced en masse with windowless 35’ blocks, completely obscuring whatever cottages in the backyard. 

Which is where the tomatoes come in the picture.  One witness testified that if the ordinance goes through, and cottages were built on all sides of his small lot (possible, but very, very improbable), there wouldn’t be any sunlight left for his tomatoes.  He should be all for the new code—every new cottage built is a hedge against a speculative developer tearing down the old bungalow and putting up a maxed out single family house. And that which would really put his garden in the shade. 

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Over the past year the Seattle City Mayor and City Council have been working on changes to portions of Seattle's zoning codes that deal with back yard cottages and mother in law units in single family neighborhoods. The changes are hoped to encourage greater density and a wider variety of housing options, including more units for lower income families.

In response to the proposed changes the Queen Anne Community Council (QACC) filed an appeal in an attempt to block the legislation. The appeal is set to be heard on this coming Wed. 8/31/2016 at 9:00am.  

It is hard to guess how the appeal will go and how the timeline for the changes will play out but here are our thoughts...

• The Appeal succeeds -
  • If the QACC's appeal is successful it will most likely have a significant drag on the timeline for the changes. We believe that some change will still likely occur however, it appears that the mayor and city council has the will to push the proposed changes regardless of the outcome of Wednesday's hearing.
• The Appeal Fails -
  • If QACC's appeal fails it will help clear the path and speed up the proposed changes. That said there seems a good chance that the QACC (or someone else) may try another tactic to stall or block the changes if this one fails. Because of this is hard to know how long any changes will be delayed.

Of the proposed changes on the table, if we were placing bets, here's what we expect to pass council vote whenever that may be -

• Highly Likely - 
  • Increased max gross floor area for cottages
  • Increased max height limit for cottages
  • More flexibility for entry locations
  • Reduction of parking requirements
  • Easing of lot size requirements
  • Easing of rear yard coverage requirements
• Possible -
  • Total elimination of parking requirements
  • Garage area does not count toward total max gross floor area
  • A sunset clause for Owner Occupancy (we expect 3or more years on this one)
• Unlikely -
  • ADU + DADU on same lot
  • Complete removal of Owner Occupancy Agreement

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Do you want a glass wall but don't want to feel exposed in your cottage? In this design, we've placed a rusted custom cut steel screen wall just in front of the cottage, which will eventually be overgrown by flowering vines, creating privacy for both cottage and house, soft dappled light in the main floor, and a custom element that gives the cottage a distinctive feel which is both natural and a little bit industrial.   

This second design takes advantage of a steep corner site to make a sunlit treehouse with a iconic form and stripped down modern details.  The end of the gable house peers out at a mature maple and the Olympics in the background.  The cottage has an inverted plan with vaulted living spaces up, and sleeping downstairs.  

The third one sits delicately between some large heritage trees (made much more difficult by the city's somewhat inchoate Tree preservation plan requirements).  The big porch is a natural extension of the public spaces of the house, with the private spaces screening views to the primary residence.  

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