Existing Housing Goals and Policies

The 2015 Stanwood Comprehensive Plan includes the following housing goals and policies:


GOALS

HG-1

To provide fair and equal access to housing for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, family status, source of income or disability.

HG-2

To provide a range of housing types to ensure an adequate choice of living accommodations for those desiring to live in Stanwood.

HG-3

To ensure strong, stable residential neighborhoods through public investment in infrastructure and in preserving existing housing units.

HG-4

Plan an appropriate mix of residential densities in the City and UGA.

HG-5

Encourage larger lots where appropriate.

HG-6

Encourage rehabilitation of older housing and infrastructure.        

HG-7

Create unique residential neighborhoods with a variety of densities.

HG-8

Maintain residential character.

HG-9

Minimize environmental impacts of new housing developments

HG-10

To provide open space and other recreational amenities for residential developments.

  

 

POLICIES

HP-1.1

Encourage the use of affordable housing techniques and incentives to assure housing opportunities for people of all incomes, ages, and assistance needs.

HP-1.2

Encourage housing opportunities for those with housing assistance needs through the use of available regional and federal funding programs.

HP-1.3

Disperse small scale special needs housing throughout the residential neighborhoods. Special needs housing provides living arrangements for those with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities where appropriate.

HP-1.4

Provide opportunities for siting manufactured housing.

HP-1.5

Encourage and assist in rehabilitating and preserving existing affordable housing.

HP-1.6

Accept and plan for Stanwood’s “fair share” of the County’s affordable housing needs as determined by the Snohomish County Tomorrow planning process.

HP-1.7

Utilize appropriate zoning techniques, including density bonuses for affordable housing, in order to meet the City’s “fair share” of affordable housing goals.

HP-1.8

Treat residential structures that provide group homes for children and that meet the definition of “familial status” the same as other residential structures.

HP-1.9

Treat residential structures that provide group homes for the disabled and meet the definition of "familial status" the same as other residential structures.

HP-2.1

Encourage the development of a full range of housing types to meet the needs of all citizens of Stanwood. 

HP-2.2

Balance the housing needs of the entire community when determining development regulations. 

HP-2.3

Allow housing units within commercial buildings in appropriate zones. 

HP-2.4

Encourage single and multi-family housing close to transportation facilities, public services, and employment centers. 

HP-2.5

Encourage the development of townhouses or other housing types, utilizing Planned Residential Developments (PRDs) in various areas to promote affordable housing. 

HP-2.6

Allow manufactured housing in all residential zones, subject to City development regulations.

HP-2.7

Allow qualified senior citizen housing developments, which may include housing for disabled persons, to exceed the maximum zoned density requirements in specified areas. 

HP-2.8

Support opportunities to accommodate home buyers and renters with varying income levels.

HP-2.9

Encourage a balance of percentages of housing availability for low, moderate, and high income residents.

HP-3.1

Locate residential development within the existing sewer service area and phase it into the projected wastewater service areas as shown in the City Wastewater Facilities Plan.

HP-3.2

Encourage pedestrian oriented development where possible to improve safety and sense of community. 

HP-4.1

Rely on community input, the vision and values for Stanwood, and the assessed future housing needs to make changes in residential densities. Base recommended changes on:

HP-4.2

Maintain quality of residential neighborhoods when providing a mix of housing types and densities. 

HP-4.3

On lots where feasible, allow single-family homes to have accessory units or “mother-in-law apartments” where zoning requirements can be met. Discourage use in areas where on-street parking congestion and other safety factors would cause problems. 

HP-4.4

Allow mixed residential densities in subdivisions and planned developments where traditional neighborhood goals, designs, and amenities can be achieved for a variety of housing types and densities.

HP-5.1

Allow the use of larger lots in areas where there is a demand for larger, more expensive homes and transit service is not as accessible. 

HP-5.2

Promote the use of large lot development away from the center of the business district.

HP-6.1

Develop incentives to encourage property owners to retain and rehabilitate existing or older housing stock. 

HP-6.2

Promote education on the use of any available programs to rehabilitate housing. 

HP-6.3

Encourage rehabilitation of older residential and commercial buildings. 

HP-6.4

Encourage innovative rehabilitation measures such as adaptive reuse of dilapidated residential structures, and where appropriate, adaptive reuse of commercial buildings for residential purposes.

HP-6.5

Continue to seek Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and other funds in order to continue investments in older neighborhoods.

HP-6.6

Continue to invest in the infrastructure of older neighborhoods. 

HP-6.7

Encourage improvements of streets and sidewalks on both sides of rights-of-way. 

HP-6.8

Develop historical guidelines and promote historic preservation. 

HP-6.9

Involve the Housing Authority of Snohomish County, Snohomish County’s Office of Housing and Community Development, and other service providers in various housing programs. 

HP-6.10

Encourage the preservation of the exterior of older housing that is being converted to multi-family units.

HP-7.1

Encourage the development of quality single family homes. 

HP-7.2

Encourage the development of quality multi-family homes.

HP-8.1

Retain and rehabilitate older or existing housing units. 

HP-8.2

Encourage development that is similar in character to existing neighborhoods.

HP-8.3

Ensure the orderly transition and compatibility of adjacent residential densities.

HP-9.1

Ensure new housing developments conform to the City's sensitive area regulations.

HP-9.2

Ensure new housing developments conform to the City's adopted drainage manual.

HP-9.3

Ensure services for new housing developments are in place concurrently with the occupancy of the structures.

HP-9.4

Allow for clustering and smaller lot sizes in return for protection and rehabilitation of sensitive areas.

HP-9.5

Protect views by maintaining height limitations.

HP-10.1

Require the provision of open space and recreational amenities in new developments to serve those developments. 

HP-10.2

Collect impact fees from new developments to provide public recreational facilities. 

HP-10.3

Create a fee-in-lieu-of program to allow residential developments to pay a fee rather than provide small, non-utilized recreation areas.

HP-10.4

Allow for clustering and smaller lot sizes in return for larger amounts of open space.