Mayor Bruce Harrell has recently released proposed rezoning maps as part of the Comprehensive Plan updates. Interactive zoning maps can be found here, so you can look up what is specific to your block (that’s what we all want to know, right?). These draft maps are currently open for public comment before being up for review by the City Council in early 2025. Many of these zoning changes are required to be in compliance with Housing Bill 1110 (HB 1110), often referred to as the Middle Housing Bill, which was passed by the state legislature in 2023.
Wallingford’s “urban center” (formerly known as an “urban village”) does not have any new zoning changes under the Mayor’s current proposal. But there are changes that will affect those large portions of Wallingford outside the urban center that are currently zoned Neighborhood Residential 3 “NR3” (formerly known as “Single Family”). Currently these residential lots in NR3 zones allow three units (a main house, an attached dwelling unit, and a detached dwelling unit).
A major tenant of HB 1110 is that zoning for all residential lots must now allow at least four housing units. They can have up to six units if they are within a quarter mile of major transit stops such as light rail and bus rapid transit. They may also have six units if two of the six units are income-restricted affordable housing. The new zoning would be simply called Neighborhood Residential “NR.” Since this is required under the new state law, there is little legal leeway to oppose these changes.
Additional upzones, which again are all outside of the urban center, are primarily focused around arterials with frequent transit service and Tangletown which would be designated a “neighborhood center.” In the center of Tangletown, building heights currently set at 40 feet (about four stories) would increase to 55 and 65 feet depending on the area. The arterials slated for upzones include parts of Meridian Avenue N, N 40th Street, Wallingford Avenue N, and N 35th Street. Most of these arterial zoning changes would be to Low Rise 3 (LR3) that would allow multifamily developments up to five stories with some isolated blocks that would change to Neighborhood Commercial 1 (NC1-55) allowing mixed use buildings up to 55 ft.
One proposed change I’m excited about is the potential return of corner stores to neighborhood residential streets. According to city documents, the proposal would “allow limited commercial uses, such as retail and food and beverage services, on corner lots in Neighborhood Residential zones.” Think cafes such as Irwin’s but on the corners of interior neighborhood streets.
My take on all of this? As far as the zoning changes go, they could have been worse. Walking only a block or two to have coffee with a neighbor sounds great. But for the big picture, fixing the housing crisis and getting our unhoused neighbors off the streets, I doubt this will do much. I think zoning changes are popular with legislatures to show they are doing something to address the housing crisis, but let’s face it, it doesn’t cost much to change zoning.
In my opinion, we need to put real money into permanently affordable housing and emergency rental assistance. We need to address the root causes of poverty by raising wages, bridging the gap for young people aging out of foster care, and investing money in mental health and addiction services. We need meaningful changes not show boating.
And we need to stop changing the names of all the zones all the time, please. I can’t keep up.