EVERETT, JUNE 9th: This recap of the Wednesday, June 4th Everett City Council meeting was provided by the Everett City Council office.
- The Everett Council Meeting of June 4, 2025, is called to order. Mayor Franklin and Councilmember Fosse were absent.
- Public comments are heard, including comments about the Comprehensive Plan, housing development, USL soccer, funding of the Everett Performing Arts Center and the EvCC Early Learning Center
- Council members shared updates including an update on the Community Health and Safety Committee meeting that preceded the council meeting.
- Action item: Minimum wage ordinance
- The council adopted a resolution with the rules to enact new minimum wages as required by the City of Everett Initiative Measure 2401 to meet the July 1st deadline
- Approved items on consent agenda.
- Second reading of three ordinances related to the Outdoor Event Center project. Final reading 6/11/2025.
- Create Special Improvement Project fund for design, legal and initial property acquisition costs of up to $4,800,000
- Revise 2025 budget to allocate funds from specified funding sources
- Authorize and provide for property acquisitions, including through eminent domain, of land and real property for Everett Outdoor Event Center project.
- Second readings related to infrastructure/ parks projects:
- Create Special Improvement Project fund for ‘Lexington Drainage’
- Close Special Improvement Project fund for ‘Wall Street Connector’
- Create Special Improvement Project fund for ‘Lowell Riverfront Trail Improvements’
- Legislative Session and Priorities
- The 2025 legislative session had a significant task of dealing with a $12 to $16 billion operating budget deficit, and the legislature raised $9.4 billion in new revenue
- The final operating budget appropriates $77.9 billion, with $6 billion in new spending, and the capital budget appropriates $7.6 billion in new appropriations, with notable wins for Everett including $6.7 million for the Everett Joint Firefighter Training Facility
- The city received $6.7 million from the state for the fire training facility and plans to apply for an additional $15 million from the federal government, with the state funding helping to match the federal application
- Several policy bills supported by the city passed, including a lot splitting bill to increase housing density, condominium construction liability easements, and transit-oriented development legislation
- The city opposed some bills that did not pass, and Councilmember Bader inquired about the status of condominium reform, with Trevor responding that the recent legislation simplifies construction statutes but may not significantly energize condo construction.
- Jennifer outlined the timeline for developing legislative priorities for the next session, with outreach to the legislative delegation planned for August or September and encouraged council members to participate in the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) legislative issues survey.
- The council discussed the legislative report and condo reform, with a plan to work on it after the comprehensive plan is completed.
- Councilmember Rhyne suggested hosting a discussion about condominium regulations and improvements, which was well-received by the council.
- Everett 2044 Comprehensive Plan and Development Regulations
- The council moved on to the comprehensive plan, with two readings: adopting the Everett 2044 Comprehensive Plan and adopting the Everett 2044 Periodic Update Development Regulations, with public hearings and final readings scheduled for June 11th and June 18th.
- The planning director, York Stevens-Wadja, and long-range planning manager, Alice Ann Wetzel, presented an overview of the comprehensive plan and development regulations, highlighting updates and changes, including amendments to development regulations and a new zoning map.
- The council also discussed accessory dwelling units, with revisions made to the proposal to avoid harming existing development and reduced rear building setbacks to accommodate accessory dwelling units.
- The city’s development regulations have been updated to provide more flexibility in site design, including the removal of requirements for dwellings to face the street if they are set back over 30 feet, and the removal of the minimum habitable space depth regulation of 20 feet
- The inclusionary zoning requirement has been revised to reduce the requirement for projects with 8 to 15 units, and to increase it for projects with 7 units, with the goal of avoiding artificial disincentives to build
- The city has added a density bonus for affordable housing on property owned or controlled by a religious organization, and has revised the height calculation for the industrial waterfront height area to provide more flexibility for the Port of Everett
- The planning commission and council members have been working on a neighborhood commercial plan, with the goal of creating a unified approach to regulations in Everett, and the planning department has shouldered a significant burden in this effort.
- The plan aims to increase density in neighborhood zones, making neighborhood businesses more helpful and beneficial, and community members have expressed a desire for better access to local businesses, especially small food and convenience stores, bakeries, delis, and coffee shops.
- The proposal includes regulating neighborhood commercial uses with development standards to ensure compatibility with neighbors, and council members will consider the benefits and drawbacks of these new uses, including potential concerns about parking, noise, and unintended consequences.
- Inclusionary Zoning and Planning Commission Suggestions
- The planning commission decided to waive inclusionary zoning requirements for projects with fewer than six dwelling units and reduce the requirements by half for larger projects, due to concerns that these requirements could reduce residential development and lead to negative consequences like displacement.
- The current comprehensive plan still includes the inclusionary zoning piece, and an amendment would be needed to reflect the planning commission’s suggestions, with incentives like the multifamily tax exemption available to encourage affordability.
- Note: Inclusionary Zoning is just for the South Everett light rail station area.
- Transition Zones and Historic Overlays
- A public comment was made regarding the need for transition zones between historic overlays and higher density developments, particularly along Rucker Avenue and in the Donovan District, to preserve historic resources and mitigate the impact of new development.
- CEMEX site – rezone
- Council approved an amendment to make these lots Parks/Open Space in the updated Comprehensive Plan
- The city’s transfer lots, previously part of the Cadman mine disposition, are currently zoned as industrial and have been intended for recreational purposes since being deeded to the city.
- Rezoning the area to parks and open space may make it easier to obtain grants for open space projects, although it’s not a guarantee, and would remove it from the Southwest Everett Manufacturing Industrial Center.
- The park open space zone has specific allowed uses and development standards, including public park development, outdoor recreational activities, and cultural activities, and would preclude certain uses like emergency shelters in the future.
