BINGEN — Middle housing in Bingen has now been codified, thanks to the efforts of the city council, City Administrator Krista Loney, and Mayor Catherine Kiewit. This was the topic of focus at the council meeting on March 18.
The meeting opened with a presentation by Michael Shannon, project director for the bridge replacement. Shannon regularly keeps the council updated on the progress of the bridge, which is currently primarily focused on securing funds for design and construction. Design alone is estimated to cost $40 million and will be a two year process. Shannon informed the council that every year of delay adds an additional $50 million to the overall cost, so the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Authority group is working diligently to keep the project moving.
The final public hearing for the middle housing code was up next. No additional public comment was offered. The council, led by Kiewit and Loney, have been working with housing consultant group MAKERS over the past year to create city code that allows for less expensive, more flexible types of housing. The new code changes R-1 and R-2 zoning to just R zoning. R-1 previously allowed for single family housing; R2 applied to two-family zones. The new zone of R, for Residential, includes single-family, duplexes, triplexes, and cottage housing, as described in the Feb. 11 issue of Columbia Gorge News. It allows for two structures per qualifying lot, as in a primary dwelling and an accessory dwelling units (ADU), if the lot is large enough to meet guidelines. It also outlines design standards. A second new type of zoning is MF, or multi-family, which allows for five or more dwellings per lot. The new code also creates rules for a Unit Lot Subdivision, which allows for a parent lot to be divided into as many as nine unit lots, with each lot sellable. The code passed, and includes numerous definitions to ease its use.
Following project status updates, all of which are on track, the mayor informed the council that the public-favored idea of raising city sales tax to fund the city is not an option. Any increase in sales tax must apply to a specific use and cannot be added to the city’s general fund. Moving forward, the city will have to find other sources of revenue for its general fund. The council has prioritized this for the coming months.
The Bingen City Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month. The council welcomes public comment, in person or through the city’s website. The next meeting will be held April 1.
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