[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6317406,"mediaKeyId","2373979-6651cd23e67a848b1bd2d8e157947336","parentId",2373979,"title","Bothell planning commission discusses Phase 2 code updates: neighborhood commercial, floor‑area ratio and lot coverage","audioSeconds",5017,"startMs",3592000,"endMs",8609000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2373979-6651cd23e67a848b1bd2d8e157947336&start=3592&end=8609","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2373979-6651cd23e67a848b1bd2d8e157947336/thumbnail_3592000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6317406/Bothell/King-County/Washington/Bothell-planning-commission-discusses-Phase-2-code-updates-neighborhood-commercial-floorarea-ratio-and-lot-coverage","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6317406-a9c13fcb69dd43c58fe6231c9dfb14ea/orig.mp4?Expires=1777635026&Signature=As9SV8c28eIv91K7qVfE3~5G2G323JygjhnBkqFIRQyfkosywwyMc0WaPFvwgjxOTnG7ePoLsmzVKGkux7h~G7mke428UHkN4LZ0xep~799tmGlbB5SgG5nXKo0nOrMosq2YBN3KMmKqGOyytZqBmDIa1oU0caTRGX~x5fGHzk4UUUDhJyBmPa6-9gBLUYMWCytFJU26YBvmdUoOYx18e9UnMrhecY4r-DR8dDa346YguczTWBaZ29s5VZgKNj52TNQLrIi6AFP4zkwl1i7SVmL28DCw-Khc2MsmruFFEHtdFJeq6suUfqawxjhEPmLKauely-dVxxFygaOdLUrLhg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Bothell City, WA","date","2025-02-20T07:52:01Z","article","City of Bothell planning staff presented an initial scope and discussion questions on Phase 2 of municipal code updates at the Planning Commission’s Feb. 19 study session. The three topics — neighborhood‑scale commercial, floor‑area ratio (FAR), and lot coverage — were discussed at length. Commissioners provided guidance and requested further analysis and visual examples; no regulatory changes were proposed or adopted at the meeting.

Neighborhood‑scale commercial
Staff said the 2024 Imagine Bothell comprehensive plan supports permitting small, pedestrian‑oriented retail and services that meet daily neighborhood needs. The City referenced Washington State Department of Commerce guidance identifying likely compatible uses (cafés, corner groceries, salons, childcare, small retail) and uses to avoid (drive‑throughs, gas stations, heavy goods retailers).

“Neighborhood scale commercial helps people meet their daily needs for goods and services without relying on driving,” Jacqueline Sampson, Long Range Planner, said. Staff cited Department of Commerce estimates that a neighborhood grocery typically needs roughly 1,000 households within a quarter‑mile to be viable — approximately 10–12 dwelling units per acre or about 10,000 people per square mile — but noted successful neighborhood stores also exist in lower‑density areas that draw customers from outside the immediate area.

Commissioner guidance included: add design standards that limit sensory impacts (hours, lighting, signage), avoid drive‑throughs, consider blade signage and subdued lighting in residential contexts, limit off‑street parking requirements for neighborhood uses, and preserve parity so that new neighborhood enterprises are not unfairly advantaged or disadvantaged compared with existing downtown businesses. Commissioners also flagged the possibility of accessory commercial uses (small business spaces in converted homes or garages) and asked staff to research other jurisdictions’ limits to prevent rapid corporate conversion (for example, large national chains occupying small neighborhood sites).

Floor‑area ratio (FAR)
Staff explained FAR is the ratio of a building’s total floor area to lot area; Bothell currently uses minimum and maximum FARs in some zones to encourage particular density and form. Sampson described pros (a common metric familiar to developers, helps shape bulk and massing, and encourages efficient land use) and cons (can push development toward large footprints, may duplicate controls from height, setbacks and lot coverage, and complicate mixed‑use design).

Commissioners urged caution about duplicative or overly complex envelope controls. Multiple commissioners suggested staff present concrete visual scenarios or three alternative code approaches (e.g., retain FAR in targeted commercial/transit areas only; replace FAR with height + open space standards; or simplify FAR ranges) so the commission can evaluate trade‑offs between design flexibility and predictability.

Lot coverage and stormwater
Staff reviewed lot coverage (the percent of a parcel covered by buildings and impervious surfaces) and explained that Bothell’s stormwater rules do not impose a fixed impervious‑surface maximum — instead, developments can reach high imperviousness if mitigation is provided. Staff noted trade‑offs: eliminating lot coverage limits can increase building capacity but raises stormwater engineering costs, could push up the cost of required civil infrastructure (vaults, ponds, or LID features), and may reduce opportunities for tree retention and on‑site LID measures. Staff also noted current stormwater billing practices: commercial customers are billed based on impervious area, while single‑family customers pay a flat rate; a shift in lot coverage policy could create pressure to move to a usage‑based rate for residences.

Commissioners emphasized balancing competing goals: increasing housing density, preserving tree canopy and open space, maintaining feasible development costs, and avoiding overly complex, duplicative regulations. Several commissioners recommended staff coordinate analysis with Public Works, Urban Forestry/Climate Action Plan work, and provide visual design examples and code drafts to show likely outcomes under alternate approaches.

Next steps
Staff said they will take the comments into account, provide additional visual scenarios and draft code options at a future meeting (staff targeted March 19 and subsequent sessions into summer 2025 for an ordinance), and continue interdepartmental coordination. The Commission did not vote on any of the Phase 2 items on Feb. 19.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Bothell Planning Commission Meeting - February 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City of Bothell planning staff presented an initial scope for Phase 2 code amendments — neighborhood‑scale commercial, floor‑area ratio (FAR) and lot coverage — and solicited Planning Commission feedback at a Feb. 19 study session; no changes were adopted.","taxTitle","Bothell, King County, Washington","taxId",53919,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6317414,"Bothell planning commissioners review downtown subarea community engagement plan, offer outreach suggestions",2206,360000,2566000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2373979-6651cd23e67a848b1bd2d8e157947336&start=360&end=2566","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2373979-6651cd23e67a848b1bd2d8e157947336/thumbnail_360000.jpg","/articles/6317414/Bothell/King-County/Washington/Bothell-planning-commissioners-review-downtown-subarea-community-engagement-plan-offer-outreach-suggestions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6317414-c5bb59c6959e8028656ad5952d808d7d/orig.mp4?Expires=1777635026&Signature=QCLFjQPyzsLAOzM7N3tyG7K71nvTQzmi-CeAB0D54aZnO6ajU3w-ga04Upv4mUvQgfENjO8eaGz99fUVLhJuWkdBwVIUrX6ohQ8~Qw~ov7FGTAUMc2qBebnAkuwth~uzcErSPApZZNt7MLIJYUALz4hCDdGhvziVLzjddfSvr23GJeE9pY0LBIsrvV9aKXeyukbS~CcCQRK2EocpBKlzqo5pGPk~FokVYTDkEe1KROr61ehog68vJg~IKqOY3iGSHhaYM4urYF10sBr0SzGyDXvtl1HyQs5KouNfxH8n-UE5VruqG1nEnYqhj-E6NZPPwKK-O7sPhE~0pAtHHHTWxA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City of Bothell planning staff presented a community engagement plan for the Downtown Bothell subarea update at the Planning Commission’s Feb. 19 study session and asked commissioners for input; no formal action was taken.

The engagement plan lays out goals of inclusive participation, meaningful engagement, public education, relationship building and future‑oriented visioning for a downtown plan intended to guide the city’s downtown for roughly the next 20 years. Planner Megan Rigney said the plan draws on Bothell’s 2009 downtown subarea plan, the 2012 and 2024 Imagine Bothell comprehensive plans, the city’s July 2024 community engagement toolkit, and best practices from Bellevue and Kirkland.

“Engagement matters because this is a plan for people,” Megan Rigney, Planner, City of Bothell Community Development, said. “We’re designing the downtown for the community that live, work, and enjoy downtown Bothell.”

The nut graf: The plan sets a multi‑pronged outreach approach — combining digital tools, in‑person tabling and workshops, targeted stakeholder outreach and translation/ADA accommodations — to reach people who live, work, visit or aspire to live or do business downtown, with an emphasis on underrepresented populations.

Key elements and schedule
- Goals and strategies: The plan identifies five goals (inclusive participation, meaningful engagement, education/awareness, relationship building, and future‑oriented visioning) with specific outreach strategies aligned to each goal. Staff said strategy details are in the meeting packet.
- Tools and partners: The city will use Engage Bothell (a GoVocal platform) to gather and analyze participation data and demographic metrics, supplementing in‑person events called “Civic Saturdays.” Staff said they will work with the city’s DEI coordinator (named Gabby in the presentation) to meet ADA and language access needs.
- Timeline: Staff described the schedule as tentative: project launch in Q3 2025; distribution of flyers and postcards to downtown residences; public engagement and “envisioning the future” activities in late 2025 into Q2 2026; and later draft review and finalization. Rigney emphasized the plan was in the scoping phase and subject to change.

Commissioner feedback and staff responses
Commissioners broadly praised the plan as thorough and offered detailed suggestions commissioners asked staff to incorporate:
- Add faith‑based organizations, the YMCA, preschools and daycare centers to the outreach list; Commissioner Robson and Commissioner Jones specifically suggested faith‑based and early‑childhood providers. Rigney said staff will add suggested organizations and asked commissioners to email additional contacts.
- Track representativeness: Commissioners recommended capturing demographic benchmarks (for example, by comparing engagement respondents to Bothell census data) and publicly reporting results so the city can show who was reached and where gaps remain. Rigney said Engage Bothell can be configured to compare respondent demographics to city data and that demographic questions will be optional.
- Staffing and budget: Commissioners asked whether staff and budget exist to perform targeted, in‑person outreach to underrepresented groups. Rigney said the city has engagement funding set aside for the downtown, housing and climate plans and a cross‑department community engagement team to coordinate resources.
- Participation incentives and accessibility: Commissioners supported offering stipends or raffles (staff noted an ongoing climate action survey that offered $25 gift certificates) and continuing family‑friendly features such as childcare and ice cream at events to lower barriers. Rigney said the city has used such incentives and will include accessibility measures in implementation.
- Clarity about influence: Commissioners emphasized that outreach materials should clearly state where public input will be informational versus decision‑making (the IAP2 participation spectrum). Rigney said staff will be explicit about how community input will be used and will summarize key themes for review.

Staff said evaluation metrics are on page 27 of the meeting packet and that after initial engagement staff will analyze themes, refine the plan, and return draft materials for public review.

What’s next
Staff invited commissioners to email additional stakeholder contacts and said a formal outreach launch will follow the scoping and council review. The plan is intended to guide later downtown planning phases but no ordinance or policy changes were proposed at the Feb. 19 session.

Votes at a glance
Two procedural motions recorded during the meeting: approval of the Feb. 5 minutes and a motion to adjourn. Both passed unanimously. Details appear below (vote records are derived from the meeting transcript).","City of Bothell planning staff presented a community engagement plan for the Downtown Bothell subarea update at the Planning Commission’s Feb. 19 study session and asked commissioners for input; no formal action was taken.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6317410,"Bothell staff outline housing action plan priorities, set community engagement timeline toward 2026 completion",820,2699000,3519000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2373979-6651cd23e67a848b1bd2d8e157947336&start=2699&end=3519","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2373979-6651cd23e67a848b1bd2d8e157947336/thumbnail_2699000.jpg","/articles/6317410/Bothell/King-County/Washington/Bothell-staff-outline-housing-action-plan-priorities-set-community-engagement-timeline-toward-2026-completion","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6317410-f753f16ee3f531f65d5b1cfbadb504eb/orig.mp4?Expires=1777635026&Signature=hd-PNaNHho5uEjgEiivsZ-120yKVJnqZLFOMCZ5e7HeHAt6NSyApx57pzNbkpcFobTyiPTpSAwUvvp8-Ht851CDMpUJJ1mRl7-LL4wIzSAVPnHzoYIeLUiwcxmk12Ev-1j1TWpuccd1msb5YrFIzK2gVh4qq8xanF7xlLsxxdW99VNpjrIjnDcn8hVrK7YawCgTpAAelBjMqsDEGn7dE3ckz9JDVh9vE918aD-CDlyVMuftLZZWagv~BVYZ0bseHTCPUw3GlG8X1kcamFKyRgzj1TbId4ZV8lAlKzrgTyudhejiMaFV~azXVn~Zh3wYgGJ-16IJl6d0g28MBqKNvaw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City of Bothell planning staff briefed the Planning Commission on Feb. 19 on the scope and engagement approach for a Housing Action Plan update and asked for commissioners’ feedback; no formal action was requested.

The housing action plan is an update to the 2018 housing strategy component and an implementation step stemming from the 2024 Imagine Bothell comprehensive plan. Senior Planner Ray Salazar and Long Range Planner Jacqueline Sampson said the city aims to complete the plan by summer 2026 and divided the work into four phases: scoping, preliminary community engagement, a working draft, and finalization for adoption.

“Community engagement will be an ongoing effort throughout the housing action plan,” Ray Salazar, Senior Planner, City of Bothell Community Development, told commissioners. Staff emphasized they would use both traditional outreach and targeted engagement and noted the city plans to provide financial compensation where appropriate for longer‑term participation.

Top priorities and background
Staff described five top priorities (not ranked): develop a comprehensive incentive program, refine multifamily tax exemption (MFTE) regulations, support renters and tenants, manage the affordable housing fund, and set a regulatory reporting frequency to measure outcomes. Sampson said the housing strategy was last updated in May 2018 and that the 2024 comprehensive plan and recent state legislative activity (for example, a state bill discussed by commissioners, HB 1110) influence the scope.

Commissioner input and staff responses
- Prioritization: Several commissioners urged prioritizing the affordable housing fund and a comprehensive incentive program. Commissioner Jones said those two items felt most likely to yield early housing production results.
- Reporting and transparency: Commissioners recommended a public dashboard or regular reporting on housing production and policy outcomes so residents and council can track whether adopted measures are producing units. Staff noted other cities (for example, Kirkland) maintain dashboards that track housing production.
- Near‑term action: Commissioners asked whether any “low‑hanging fruit” could be advanced before the plan’s final adoption; staff said renter/landlord focus groups and tenant‑rights work are already underway and that the city is collaborating with a consultant (ARCH) to refine MFTE regulations.
- Renter population: Staff estimated that roughly 35% of city households are renters, based on 2023 data used for the comprehensive plan; Sampson cautioned figures were approximate.

Next steps
Staff said preliminary engagement would begin in spring 2025, with targeted outreach, collaboration with community organizations and a consultant‑assisted regulatory review. No specific regulatory changes were proposed at the Feb. 19 meeting; instead the session sought commissioner priorities to shape outreach and draft policy options for later review.","City staff presented the scope and priority topics for a Housing Action Plan update, seeking Planning Commission feedback. Staff identified five top priorities, said public engagement will begin in spring 2025 and the plan aims for completion by summer 2026, and noted work already underway with renter/landlord focus groups and consultant support.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bothell planning commission discusses Phase 2 code updates: neighborhood commercial, floor‑area ratio and lot coverage

Bothell planning commissioners review downtown subarea community engagement plan, offer outreach suggestions

Bothell staff outline housing action plan priorities, set community engagement timeline toward 2026 completion