City Council Approved New Limitations
By Kristie Graybill
Kent’s City Council approved new definitions that will work to limit the amount of people living in ones house.
“If you live in a R1, R2, R3 you are not allowed to have more than two unrelated persons,” stated Bridget Susel, Kent’s Community Development Director.
This law redefines the household limits. Before the community development departments changed Kent’s definition of a household, the definition was one or more persons occupying a dwelling as a functional unit. These family members were defined as people who were related by blood, adoption, or marriage; or where two or more people’s relationships are not of blood, adoption, or marriage but functions the same as one of these.
The change in the definition was made to limit the number of non-relatives living in a household. The new definition of a household is a where one or more people related by marriage, legally recognized civil unions, adoption, or within three degrees (or fewer) on consanguinity with only two non-relative.
These changes mean that people who live in R1, R3, or R3 sections of Kent will need to be related to all but one of the persons living in their home.
“We allow for a variance for our zoning code requirements…they would pled their case…actually the code is filled with options for example. You can apply for the variance through the BCA, also an appeals process through the community development director if there is a situation that you feel should be considered they can actually make that decision,” said Susel.
There are exceptions to almost every rule. If someone needed assistance living and require live-in health assistance, they would be exempted under the “caregiver”. A caregiver is someone who is unrelated and provides medical assistance to an elderly
person, a disabled person, or a juvenile. The only way that someone can file for a caregiver is if they are unable to live alone.
The indirect intent of these definitions was not to limit normal family units, but to limit the growing number of boarding houses in Kent.
“It’s basically focused on illegal boarding houses. People buy a home in a neighborhood they want it to be singly family neighborhood and then they find out that next door to them are more students. Now those students may not have a lot of parties but its more vehicles, more in and out traffic and often times they have guests and it doesn’t have the same feel and atmosphere as a single family environment,” said Susel.
Kent’s City Council passed the motion with only one member objecting.
“You’re violating someone’s rights,” said Ward Four Council Member, John Kuhar.
Kuhar argued that there are other ways to limit boarding houses than limiting the number of non-relatives. Boarding houses are becoming a problem in many cities, not
just Kent. One of the many problems is that these boarding houses can cause increased traffic in suburban neighborhoods.
Bellevue, Washington recently passed a law limiting their household as well, but to five non-related person. They determined that any homes housing over five non-related persons is a boarding house and it violates the zoning laws. Fairfax County in Virginia also limited the amount of non-relatives allowed in a household this year. Months ago, Fairfax County limited the household to only allowing four non-related persons.
In Kent, if a violation of this new law occurs, the residents will be punished by the city and the guests will be forced to vacate the premises.
Below are the chapter redactions and changes that have approved.
