Kenmore City Council was scheduled to take up new state co-living and parking rules

What the records say

The Kenmore City Council's April 21, 2025 agenda included an item on new state regulations for co-living housing and residential parking, presented by Principal Planner Todd Hall and Senior Planner Brittany Chue for introduction and discussion. ¹ Under HB 1998 (RCW 36.70A.535), passed by the state in 2024, Kenmore must allow co-living housing as a permitted use on any lot that allows at least six multifamily units, including mixed-use zones, and must complete the update by December 31, 2025 or a model code will apply. ¹ Co-living parking is capped at 0.25 spaces per sleeping unit, and no parking may be required within 0.5 mile of a major transit stop. ¹ Separately, SB 6015 (2024) sets new residential parking rules — including 8 x 20-foot maximum stall dimensions, tandem parking, and no garage/carport requirements — and SB 5184, passed in April 2025 and effective July 2025, caps minimum parking at 0.5 space per dwelling unit and exempts many uses from minimums entirely. ¹ Staff asked the Council to choose whether to adopt the SB 5184 parking limits as written, go further, or eliminate parking requirements city-wide. ¹

• HB 1998 requires Kenmore to allow co-living as a permitted use in zones allowing at least six multifamily units, with compliance due by December 31, 2025 or a model code applies; co-living parking is capped at 0.25 spaces per sleeping unit and may not be required within 0.5 mile of a major transit stop. ¹
• SB 6015 sets residential parking rules including maximum stall dimensions of 8 x 20 feet, tandem parking, and no required garages or carports; SB 5184, effective July 2025, caps minimums at 0.5 space per dwelling unit and exempts categories including affordable housing, small residences, and child care facilities. ¹
• Staff asked the Council whether to adopt the SB 5184 parking regulations as written, reduce requirements further, or eliminate parking minimums city-wide, and whether to handle SB 5184 in June 2025 or defer to 2026. ¹
• The presentation laid out a next-steps timeline: Council discussion of draft ordinances on June 23, 2025, a public hearing on July 14, 2025, and Council adoption on September 8, 2025. ¹

Why it matters

These state rules will change what can be built in Kenmore neighborhoods: co-living units — small, independently rented, lockable sleeping units with shared kitchens — must be allowed as a permitted use in every residential zone allowing six or more multifamily units (R-6 through R-48) and in mixed-use zones including Downtown and TOD. ¹ The Council's choice on parking minimums will directly shape how much parking new housing and commercial space in Kenmore must include. ¹

What changed / what's next

• The April 21, 2025 agenda added an item for introduction and discussion of new state co-living and residential parking regulations, with staff seeking Council direction on local implementation. ¹
• The scheduled next steps were Council discussion of draft ordinances on June 23, 2025, a public hearing on July 14, 2025, and adoption on September 8, 2025; the available records do not establish whether those steps occurred as scheduled. ¹
• The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome.