Middle housing is a housing category midway between apartment building and single-family dwelling. We’re seeing instances in Brentwood-Darlington (a four-plex is shown in the photo).
The process of readying middle-housing projects for sale has been catching nearby residents unaware.
As “by right” construction nears completion, the neighbors receive an odd notice that the developer wishes to “subdivide the subject site” into X number of lots.
The case file number looks like this: LU 23-xxxxxx MLDS. (The MLDS stands for Middle-housing Land Division Subdivision.)
Suddenly it becomes clear that the building is not a big house (replacing a previous house) but a set of housing units, each to be sold to one household. The lot has no on-site parking, and little room for trees. There can be a small common area – who will maintain it? The structure may be incongruously tall, towering over adjacent single-story houses.
The neighbors are astounded and worried. But there’s nothing to be done. It is fully legal to divide a lot after constructing a building. (And residents have no say before construction over design, window placement and angle, tree removal, parking, or other matters.)
The code governing such land-use division is being revised. Correction: Although post-construction land division is not directly addressed, the code change offers an opportunity to question planners about the MLDS process. Public comment is being sought through December 31, 2023. A discussion draft of the Land Division Code Update can be downloaded here. Comments can be submitted here.
If you’d like to speak directly to city planners, Southeast Uplift’s land-use committee has arranged for city planners to speak about the code update at 7:00pm on December 18th. You can attend the meeting in person at 3534 SE Main Street or access it remotely at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/94658039953.