Seattle isn't the only city in the Pacific Northwest to consider infill housing options such as backyard cottages. On July 28 Vancouver, B.C., adopted laneway housing guidelines—a set of standards for the construction of lane (alley) houses in single-family residential zones.
Ideas for lane houses came from the city's EcoDensity discussions and were put on the planning docket in June 2008 with a Vancouver City Council action item. The project was then fast-tracked to align with this year's council priority for providing affordable and rental housing citywide.
The following is a quick summary of the applicable development standards for Vancouver's laneway houses. (To learn more about Seattle's backyard cottage amendments click here or here.)
1. Permitted on lots 33 feet or wider and 122 feet or deeper that are located on an open lane (alley).
2. Generally located in the space where a garage would be permitted (in the rear 26 feet of the lot with a minimum separation of 16 feet between the primary house and laneway house).
3. Allowed strictly as a rental unit or for family use.
4. Unit size based on lot size to a maximum of 750 square feet.
5. Permitted in either a one-story or one-and-a-half-story configuration.
6. Minimum of one on-site parking space required.
7. Units subject to Green Home Program requirements and design guidelines that are intended to minimize shadowing, massing and privacy impact
Seattle's proposed backyard cottage amendments integrate similar standards with the intention of providing affordable and flexible housing options while ensuring compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods. Seattle's Planning, Land Use and Neighborhood Committee will be considering the backyard cottage amendments at its upcoming meeting scheduled for Sept. 9 at 9:30 a.m.
