[{"_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",6102882,"mediaKeyId","2802880-d3225902ea0aedd0acfe54722f4283cb","parentId",2802880,"title","Planning staff summarizes February 2025 development activity; building department reports staffing strain","audioSeconds",451,"startMs",2915000,"endMs",3366000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2802880-d3225902ea0aedd0acfe54722f4283cb&start=2915&end=3366","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2802880-d3225902ea0aedd0acfe54722f4283cb/thumbnail_2915000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6102882/Monroe-City/Snohomish-County/Washington/Planning-staff-summarizes-February-2025-development-activity-building-department-reports-staffing-strain","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6102882-8ff079b84c8428b244bc378bdec25977/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148099&Signature=UTaXl1Ft4jmDmQYwhnDLC0X~f8cR34tk5RjTKY7mym4ZmWpciMUDBuKgQF12Xm0PUgZ7zhgSbYnSzijq7o2LtDvCFfeqnP6qMhvNy~4f3~~uIaorqcfwN8vVmEvbSW7GoLOsnmw8YprhgxVvZ~CP8K122F~9FPwU0cRJPpB6tgi0JdHYs3P9MNeYcQ1kDVeshJJbJyGLCLoluWF3IfIMv22JxLWQTjTEQvmza~W9R0zZo4yjwn5BX~QXWwm19wUhdBVyIJyYoP0kj29q1etMqt8AnfErcS3dwXmUSSbI6G2EstIeurrodRbgIiEcMWA15~QZ0-5pXxTwvRAHHkKH7g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Monroe City, WA","date","2025-03-26T15:31:24Z","article","At the March 24 Monroe Planning Commission meeting staff presented the Community Development Department’s February 2025 monthly report, summarizing permit activity, project highlights and current staffing and system issues.

The report—presented by department staff—noted four single‑family permits issued in February, three tenant improvement permits and 20 residential building permits; the department recorded roughly 18 inspections for the month, opened six new code‑enforcement cases and closed eight. The packet also listed 96 new business licenses processed in the reporting period.

Staff highlighted the Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue Station 31 maintenance shop project: a roughly 3,000‑square‑foot maintenance shop addition whose final building inspection was approved in February. The project’s timeline in the report shows pre‑application activity in 2023, building permits issued in January 2024, and civil permits issued in November 2023, a sequence staff said was complicated by a water main reroute.

Planning staff also reported ongoing work with the Davenport Group to implement a new permitting system and said the building division is operating below full staffing: the plans reviewer accepted a building official role elsewhere and the building permit technician position was vacant but an offer had been made to a candidate. To keep project reviews moving, staff said they are sending some work to an outside plan‑review consultant and continuing code‑enforcement activity such as removing non‑permitted signage.

Staff noted several ongoing housing‑related code projects: the conversion‑of‑existing‑structures amendments (discussed earlier in the meeting), accessory dwelling unit code amendments scheduled for public hearing in April, an interim R7 ordinance under consideration, and the larger middle‑housing project (townhomes, triplexes, fourplexes, cottage apartments) that will return for full review. Staff also reported on annexation steps: a Palmer annexation will be before council the next day and the Monroe 30 annexation had received Snohomish County Boundary Review Board approval.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Monroe, WA Planning Commission - March 24, 2025 Regular Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Staff presented the Community Development Department’s February 2025 report, listing permit and inspection counts, a project highlight (Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue Station 31 maintenance shop), ongoing permitting system work and temporary staffing shortages in the building division.","taxTitle","Monroe City, Snohomish County, Washington","taxId",71110,"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},6102887,"Planning commission votes to send Monroe 2044 citywide rezone findings to council",1306,1409000,2715000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2802880-d3225902ea0aedd0acfe54722f4283cb&start=1409&end=2715","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2802880-d3225902ea0aedd0acfe54722f4283cb/thumbnail_1409000.jpg","/articles/6102887/Monroe-City/Snohomish-County/Washington/Planning-commission-votes-to-send-Monroe-2044-citywide-rezone-findings-to-council","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6102887-617d226e83121d5f2410438e05437f99/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148099&Signature=A55kbkHX89NgFKlDDPKR1HlKwukK17uz5kDttsm-wTnHsbum8OUodCOUacJcYuVtRmSWNR~WeZe9bokjU3eNzg9ZLB1oENg5rHf-ZybW6JAxZ5IT4UrcNpnJEXZ1Lha2JSwMv1w4IDziITsUU-GTWIJa0j9sjOlsDQWDcSFN~cibUigVcAkKMpj8IBw2F0Xp7f3oYoihtbWKfgWpTkqEHN5elxkswiLzLaNciFmA~MYlErZCjH8UtHCMNcBRHdAeyLs3pgXPxlSD2vY7fggwUu0XzcWTi29FwJ7nhS0DriSTOIlvT5LZ8-B0q6UEOlFwYuqkp8gX0NrmDaI4xrzc-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its March 24, 2025 meeting the Monroe Planning Commission voted to direct staff to prepare findings and conclusions recommending that the City Council approve the Monroe 2044 comprehensive plan citywide rezone and related amendments to Title 22 of the Monroe Municipal Code.

Kate Turlington, a staff member who presented the proposal, described the rezone as Phase 1 of implementing the Monroe 2044 comprehensive plan adopted in December 2024. She told commissioners that the citywide rezone would convert areas now designated Residential‑4 (R4, four dwelling units per acre) to Residential‑7 (R7, seven dwelling units per acre) in order to increase density and meet the plan’s housing and employment capacity without expanding the urban growth area.

Turlington said the rezone also includes targeted changes: returning a Smith property on North Kelsey to General Commercial (bringing an existing State Farm use into conformance), converting specific parcels along the south side of 170th and between SR‑522 and Main Street to Mixed Use General, and removing the City’s Transportation overlay that applies to rights‑of‑way such as US‑2 and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe corridor. She also noted the City Council excluded certain proposed changes — specifically a Strawberry Hill neighborhood proposal near the hospital and five parcels on Chain Lake Road — from the rezone package under consideration.

On annexations and timing, Turlington said the Conner pre‑annexation remains pending; a project planner will present to City Council the following evening, after which the matter would go to the Snohomish County Boundary Review Board if council approves. She said the city’s zoning map and Title 22 code chapters targeted for amendment include Chapter 22.14 (zoning maps and districts), Chapter 22.16 (single‑family residential standards) and Chapter 22.30 (being eliminated as part of the changes).

After staff closed the hearing and public testimony was complete, the commission approved a motion directing staff to prepare findings and conclusions recommending City Council approval. The motion passed on voice vote; the transcript records only an affirmative voice vote. Staff said the next step is to bring prepared findings to the commission and forward them to the council’s P3 committee and full council for public hearing and final action.","The Monroe Planning Commission on March 24 voted to direct staff to prepare findings recommending City Council approve the Monroe 2044 comprehensive plan citywide rezones and implementing code changes that move many R4 zones to R7 and adjust selected commercial and overlay zones.",{"_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},6102892,"Planning commission backs drafting findings for code changes to allow commercial-to-residential conversions under HB 1042",1207,196000,1403000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2802880-d3225902ea0aedd0acfe54722f4283cb&start=196&end=1403","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2802880-d3225902ea0aedd0acfe54722f4283cb/thumbnail_196000.jpg","/articles/6102892/Monroe-City/Snohomish-County/Washington/Planning-commission-backs-drafting-findings-for-code-changes-to-allow-commercial-to-residential-conversions-under-HB-1042","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6102892-d0077670234b2a41e14d28e3c710fa89/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148099&Signature=KIvWnbOdYxRNM6rUMPhX8dtlDYPvuHDN2~jqQuHEY3q5Zm5lOURYk~CKLGd1-piv4qCHkU6VdJQuaN-TjaiTAOpEiBD-XCTLqaJbW37MZkj2cQZJyljSl5FHMnlJG6W3GhJAC5Ca9Z-1WlA7xIe8cjCXBEGTVvtXUTaakYPlSygRVUY1EKuLLimLwPFO6n489BZWOj9QLwiLvOZ13cZd2ZbImTuz0soLK1B1geVx30kx8mGrtuVLiH1LIy~x5A-7FTUmu4wVgOISm20por4wtZ~6mx-p-WotoK-zoC1e2Um-cehEXG5Y2kmIugGfgTSfUIwVotiMLd4WVPzAMJIbrQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Monroe Planning Commission on March 24, 2025 voted to direct staff to draft findings of fact and conclusions of law recommending the City Council adopt amendments to Monroe Municipal Code Title 22 to implement Washington House Bill 1042, which encourages interior conversion of existing commercial and mixed‑use buildings into housing.

The measure matters because state law requires municipalities to update local development regulations to allow conversions and specifies limits on what cities may require. Leanne Barr, a staff member presenting the proposal, said House Bill 1042 \"defines existing buildings as anything that has been completed at least 3 years ago\" and requires cities to allow up to 50% greater residential density within an existing building envelope for qualifying conversions.

Under the proposed local amendments described by Barr, the city would: allow a 50% increase in residential density for conversions entirely within an existing building envelope; not require additional parking for those conversions (while retaining existing on‑site parking when proposed); not impose extra exterior design or architectural standards for converted projects; and not require additional permitting beyond typical new‑building requirements, including prohibiting a separate environmental review or CEPA process for the conversion itself. Barr also told the commission that the city \"cannot deny a project based on any existing nonconformities,\" giving the example of setback nonconformities that predate current code.

Barr cautioned that while converted spaces must meet current energy‑code requirements, the law does not require bringing the entire building to current energy code. She also flagged common conversion costs—insulation, windows, HVAC and mechanical systems, water and sewer work and possible structural or seismic upgrades—as potential barriers for property owners. The presentation cited examples from Seattle and Bellevue to show conversions are expected to be uncommon: Seattle projects estimate about a dozen conversions over seven years; Bellevue fewer than five.

During public testimony, one resident asked general questions about growth and green space; staff and commissioners noted those matters were more directly related to the separate comprehensive rezone item on the agenda. After closing public testimony, the commission approved a motion to direct staff to draft the required findings and conclusions recommending City Council approval. The motion passed on a voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the transcript.

The planning staff said the next steps are for the commission to review drafted findings at its April 14 meeting before the packet moves to the City Council P3 committee and then a council public hearing, with the aim of meeting the June 30, 2025 deadline for compliance with the city’s recently adopted comprehensive plan.","At its March 24 meeting, the Monroe Planning Commission voted to direct staff to draft findings recommending City Council adopt code amendments required by Washington House Bill 1042 to ease conversion of existing commercial buildings into residential units, citing a June 30, 2025 compliance deadline.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Planning staff summarizes February 2025 development activity; building department reports staffing strain

Planning commission votes to send Monroe 2044 citywide rezone findings to council

Planning commission backs drafting findings for code changes to allow commercial-to-residential conversions under HB 1042