LDMRs and 'Air Condos' in Puget Sound

Snohomish County, Wash., officials are tussling with local city governments and fire-department officials over regulation of so-called "air condo" developments sprouting in the county's unincorporated areas.

1 minute read

May 3, 2007, 1:00 PM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"The developments' closely packed, single-family homes are similar to condos, except the dwellings don't share walls. The houses are owned individually, but common space, including roads, is owned and managed condo-style by all of the residents through a homeowner's association. They're often dubbed 'air condos' because homeowners own only the space inside their walls. They've also been called 'LDMRs' after the zoning -- Low Density Multiple Residential -- where they're most often built."

From the KnowledgePlex summary: "Builders and some home buyers praise the developments, saying they provide affordable housing in a community-building setting. But according to some neighbors and local city and fire-department officials, the developments are aesthetically unappealing and potentially hazardous, with inadequate space between dwellings to accommodate fire safety equipment. By unanimous vote, the county council passed a set of regulations backed by builders, fire chiefs, and the council chairman."

Thanks to KnowledgePlex

Wednesday, April 25, 2007 in The Seattle Times

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