Commission to study regional housing plan
By Terry Murry on Tuesday, August 17th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
COLLEGE PLACE – The College Place Planning Commission meets virtually tonight at 7 to consider adopting a regional housing action plan. The cities of College Place, Walla Walla, Waitsburg and Dayton received funding from the Washington State Department of Commerce to conduct the plan. It examines housing affordability, housing needs and gaps, access, and structural diversity issues as well as strategies and actions to be taken by each jurisdiction.
The plan highlights existing housing conditions and issues, and forecasts future needs based on changing demographic and socio-economic conditions. While significant steps have already been taken by the four cities, this plan lists new housing policies and actions that can be taken for each city to further enhance housing opportunities.
The projected 20-year housing need of 747 dwelling units in College Place’s urban growth area is far greater than the potential urban growth area capacity of 345 units, even after accounting for recent code changes and assuming 60 percent of net new housing will need to be constructed on infill and redevelopment lands.
College Place has made recent code updates to accommodate housing. They include reducing the minimum size of single-family lots as well as allowing three or more single-family dwelling units to be attached as townhouses. Tiny homes, and mobile homes are among the housing units that are now permitted for residential use in mobile home parks and manufactured housing communities.
The meeting is on Zoom. The meeting ID number is 884 4487 4428. Members of the public may also view the meeting on the city’s YouTube channel.
