Regulations and revisions on tap in Auburn this year

Published 5:30 am Saturday, March 14, 2026

The Washington state Growth Management Act requires that counties and cities periodically review all their regulatory do’s and don’ts.

That means the staff of Auburn’s Department of Community Development have been busy lately, preparing changes to regulations that should make their way to the Auburn City Council for action in the coming weeks and months.

What emerges from the process will affect what happens in Auburn homes or businesses, for example, when a storm knocks out the electrical grid, or where childcare centers can go, among other concerns.

At a March 9 council study session, Assistant Director of Community Development Steve Sturza and Planning Services Manager Alexandria Teague explained their 2026 work program.

Below are some of the changes that may be coming down the pike in 2026.

Battery Energy Storage Systems

Battery energy storage systems (BESS), varying in size from a grid substation to small battery packs mounted in a garage to charge an electric car, provide reliable backup or storage of electricity generated on site or from a grid system through single-family homes, offices and commercial activities.

The technology is catching on.

King County and the City of Sumner have already adopted BESS regulations, and more jurisdictions are sure to follow. But Auburn does not yet have the necessary standards in place.

The city council slapped a six-month long moratorium on applications for the energy storage systems on May 5, 2025, and extended it for another six months on Nov. 3. That moratorium expires May 2.

In the meantime, staff has been preparing BESS standards related to zoning districts to allow for BESS-associated land-use approvals and supplemental standards, including siting, construction, decommissioning, setbacks, noise, landscaping and more.

The question of whether to extend the moratorium again will make it to council on April 27.

Parking requirements

Auburn is also revising the section of the city code that sets parking requirements to square with a new state law.

The state has established minimum parking requirements for developments, ranging from zero for a range of uses, including new senior housing, affordable housing, commercial uses under 3,000 square feet in size, residences under 12,000 square feet, childcare centers, and changes within existing buildings.

“The Legislature has stated that on-site parking could drive up the cost of development, particularly the cost of housing, discouraging walking and multi-modal transit usage,” Teague explained.

This code update should come before the city council in the fall.

Childcare centers

Childcare centers, including the conversion of existing buildings to childcare centers, are outright permitted uses in Washington state.

The city of Auburn allows childcare centers in all zones except the industrial and open-space zones, but it may impose restrictions such as the siting of pick-up and drop-off areas. Based on the previously noted state parking requirements, Teague explained, “we cannot allow any additional parking, or the parking requirement is zero.”

Design standards

Adopted by the state Legislature in 2023, House Bill 1293 requires counties and cities to provide clear objectives for the exterior designs of development projects. Right now, city staff are in the process of updating the multi-family and mixed-use design standards to achieve this goal.

Modification to design standards for storefront facades and site designs, Teague said, will serve as a much-needed refresher to architectural requirements that were last modified in 2010.

Another goal is to expand applicability of the standards to commercial zones. The modifications, however, will not apply to interior alternations or renovations, or to public buildings that are city landmarks.