PORT TOWNSEND — The City Council has unanimously approved an ordinance that will allow more, but smaller, houses.
The Cottage Housing Development Ordinance allows developers to build up to a dozen houses on a typical city block of 40,000 square feet.
Current zoning codes only allow between four and eight houses per city block throughout most of the city. However, several multifamily (R-III) zones do allow up to 24-bedroom units per city block.
The ordinance limits the size of cottages from 650 square feet to 800 square feet and they can be no taller than 18 feet.
The cottage housing model has become popular as single people or couples without children choose smaller houses, says architect Ross Chapin of Langley on Whidbey Island.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean cottages are more affordable than full-size houses, he said.
The rest of this story appears in today’s Jefferson County edition of the Peninsula Daily News. Click on “Subscribe” to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.