Vashon-Maury Island Action Item 2: Affordable Housing Incentives
Vashon-Maury Island Action Item 2: Affordable Housing Incentives
A workplan item to review and assess the effectiveness of the affordable housing special district overlay in Vashon Rural Town was adopted in 2017, as part of the Vashon-Maury Island Subarea Plan, as a tool to increase the supply of affordable housing on the island.
Vashon-Maury Island Workplan Action Item 2: Affordable Housing Incentives
The community’s desire to increase opportunities for affordable housing development on the island was one of the key themes expressed during outreach and development of the 2017 Vashon-Maury Island Subarea Plan. In response to this, the adopted Subarea Plan included creation of a new Special District Overlay (overlay) to incentivize affordable housing development on 246 parcels within the Rural Town of Vashon. King County Ordinance 18623, established a workplan and timeline to review the effectiveness of the overlay. Annual reports have been completed since 2018 on the overlay and the final review is currently underway as part of the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Vashon Affordable Housing Special District Overlay is an optional incentive which developers can use on elligible properties located within Vashon Town to increase the density of an affordable housing development.
A detailed description of the SDO's provisions can be found on King County's website.
As of 2022, the special district overlay has not created any additional affordable housing units on Vashon Isand.
A review of the Special District Overlay has been completed annually since 2018. A preliminary report was transmitted to Council each year - these reports can be found in the "Documents" section on this page. To prepare the Vashon Rural Town Affordable Housing Special District Overlay Final Evaluation report, King County researched housing options and engaged with the community, including sharing a Vashon Concepts Document in early 2023.
