[{"_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",6078726,"mediaKeyId","2959063-b627ee0208312f0446c2fc737d798cfd","parentId",2959063,"title","Council narrows 2025 comprehensive‑plan study to North Bull hub and critical‑areas work; staff cautioned on capacity","audioSeconds",1452,"startMs",7131000,"endMs",8583000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2959063-b627ee0208312f0446c2fc737d798cfd&start=7131&end=8583","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2959063-b627ee0208312f0446c2fc737d798cfd/thumbnail_7131000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6078726/Edmonds/Snohomish-County/Washington/Council-narrows-2025-comprehensiveplan-study-to-North-Bull-hub-and-criticalareas-work-staff-cautioned-on-capacity","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6078726-d2a1e5bbd6b0665340b56c517f72edb0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188492&Signature=kXkXgiV13XqalJC-k8DeBXb~3jjU-sQEpUUNxK37wKUcaIWm10-N7uVeL-mI6mimvIHqzDyBceStMK2Q2jaVEwoUfWcyFTKpygUCn0ngXXi7nX9TLZ9scb92zI84cy2v5EilDYwkMm4YwJl6uva3Z71jMRhr-mrlTznTlJ8-9nTLiYvWnjYhJG4JuB1TMT83KfUE2UCbA3c870taLPFs6JKGoazg0wCV7mgS6Ix63Lv2A1y~OR26qkzuN~V2e1EsRubTI29g6GLNWplOulZqlF06wr81Q50Q8MZfg68GbQb6qqjOtaZXG~75nzeJo~x-As9NM6Y2O5t5xJCGpUUjkA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Edmonds City, WA","date","2025-04-01T00:00:00Z","article","The Edmonds City Council addressed procedural and priority questions about 2025 comprehensive-plan amendment ideas at its April 1 meeting and decided to send two items to staff for study: revision of the North Bull (North Bowl) hub and establishment of a critical‑areas program.

Why it matters: Comprehensive-plan amendments can change long-term land-use direction, affect zoning and environmental policy, and trigger code changes. Council direction determines where limited planning staff resources will be applied.

Council members submitted 28 initial amendment ideas after the December 2024 comp‑plan update; staff consolidated them into roughly 18 distinct topics. Director of Planning Hope told the council that any item sent for study requires planning time for analysis, public notice, planning‑board review and staff reporting. As a planning baseline she estimated roughly 50 staff hours for a single study item and said complex items could require significantly more time.

Council debate focused on process. Council member Nand argued some proposals were not appropriate uses of the comp‑plan amendment process and urged that scarce staff time be directed first to a long‑delayed tree‑code update. Several members reiterated the need for public input, and others emphasized that the council must balance speed with thoroughness.

After procedural motions, councilors voted to move the North Bull hub and the critical‑areas program onto the staff study list. Council president Tibbitt and others said the council wanted staff to incorporate feedback gathered at recent walkabouts and public outreach into the study materials. If staff proceed, the council asked for a report-back by July 8, 2025, on the study scope and options.

Council members noted limitations: Planning staff are understaffed at present (several vacancies were described) and undertaking multiple complex studies in parallel will displace other mandated work such as code updates and permit review. Director Hope and council members agreed to prioritize and phase studies to match staffing capacity.

No comp‑plan amendment was adopted at the April 1 meeting; the council framed the outcome as an instruction to staff to develop study materials, timelines and options for public review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Regular Meeting 4/1/2025","oneSentenceSummary","After public comment on parks, the Edmonds City Council directed staff to study two comprehensive-plan topics — the North Bull hub and a critical‑areas program — and received staff estimates that each study item will require significant planning-department hours.","taxTitle","Edmonds, Snohomish County, Washington","taxId",51965,"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},6078731,"Edmonds residents flood council with comments after tree removal and amid talk of rezoning parks",8802,1737000,10539000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2959063-b627ee0208312f0446c2fc737d798cfd&start=1737&end=10539","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2959063-b627ee0208312f0446c2fc737d798cfd/thumbnail_1737000.jpg","/articles/6078731/Edmonds/Snohomish-County/Washington/Edmonds-residents-flood-council-with-comments-after-tree-removal-and-amid-talk-of-rezoning-parks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6078731-3d94a5ebc364311c24a6a3b91f216582/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188492&Signature=hScfzvBEytE4~~-TUCgwE83WKl1ku842OHXIP1EsrVW~Sp7aQCF9gnEcX5a5LPE1cX7VdmYTUzFsWqpyL8kkcZEkYhA87yN54PtFeFMPiu6yLwOql6YWmVr2oDSePmBjHb-Gwrq0Nmh8z-uV6IkYKc-FfLE-g2VglZihecbx~dqQzd4jqSA6S6QBBqrXBmWWYotlgYR5FLClMJAP~IYNZ~CoAw5sxIqY7GF8vYkgGTwG7QPIpZiKLvXpIeJxwDlv1GJVu8n8OGgI8oIbY~~wytL07dkj~EmdCSLR5GQ2PD5oenb6Kyki7ujv1VHY1mFpvPCedvVxEkz2QSsGvW482g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of residents and multiple council members addressed plans and proposals that could affect neighborhood parks and the Francis Anderson Center during public comment at the Edmonds City Council meeting on April 1.

The meeting drew a large turnout for audience comments after public notice that Hummingbird Hill Park and the Francis Anderson Center might be discussed during the comprehensive-plan amendments process. Council staff said 29 people had signed up to speak in advance; later in the meeting council member Chen said there were 62 spoken comments and more than 700 emails on the subject.

Why it matters: Residents and city leaders warned that selling small neighborhood parks or the Francis Anderson Center would be irreversible and would conflict with the city’s comprehensive plan goals for open space and community gathering places. Several speakers tied the controversy to a recent, contested removal of a 102-year-old coastal redwood (referred to in public comments as “Big Red”).

Public commenters described a range of impacts. Tim Greiner, who said he lives near Hummingbird Hill, argued the park is accessible for grandparents and others who cannot travel to lower-bowl parks. \"Maintaining an accessible Hummingbird Park is needed and very important for the Mid Bowl residents of Edmonds,\" he said.

Neighbor Donald Wayne, who lives next to the park, described recurring summer activity, recurring flooding and drainage problems in the park and said the site can act like a temporary pond during heavy rains. Jordan Rudd, who said he was born in Edmonds, told the council, \"These parks bind generations together. When you sell one park like this, it does not come back.\" Chelsea Rudd urged council member Nand to reconsider an announced intention to abstain from a vote, saying, \"We love our parks. We're not going away. We're going to save our parks.\"

Other commenters highlighted environmental and wildlife values: Kathy Stahl, who lives across from Hummingbird Hill, said the park provides bird habitat, including owls and hawks, and warned that development would harm that habitat. Several speakers cited specific comprehensive-plan policies—identified in public comment by their LU policy numbers—and asked the council to align decisions with those objectives.

Community service and childcare were also raised. Brian Webster and Angie Baum described Main Street Kids, a daycare operating at the Francis Anderson Center, and said a sale or closure could displace families and employees. \"We provide quality care. We provide that. We've been providing that for a very long time,\" Baum said, noting a wait list for care and the center's role in serving Edmonds families.

Speakers suggested alternatives to selling public land. Ideas included adopting a city B&O tax, paid parking, short-term rental taxes, increased property taxes, pursuing grants, public–private partnerships and stronger ordinance enforcement. Resident Bob Ledford urged the council to present a clear recovery plan and asked volunteers to help craft long-term revenue solutions.

Separately, several speakers criticized the handling of the removal of a large coastal redwood (public commenters referred to it as \"Big Red\"). Multiple residents said the permit and its supporting arborist report contained errors and asked for a stronger tree ordinance, better permitting review and a moratorium on cutting legacy trees while stronger protections are written.

Council response and process notes: Council members frequently emphasized process and the limits of the council’s authority. Council member Nand characterized the comprehensive-plan amendment procedure as the wrong mechanism to dispose of city property and said staff time would be better spent on a long-delayed tree-code update; she later said she would abstain from votes about comp-plan priorities to press for tree-code work. Director of Planning Hope told the council that comprehensive-plan amendments require substantial staff time and that approximately 50 staff hours is a reasonable estimate for a study item, with complex items requiring more.

The council did not vote to sell any park or the Frances Anderson Center at the meeting. Instead, council members moved to study selected comprehensive-plan items (see separate coverage of council business) and repeatedly asked staff to return with options and analyses. Several council members asked for more creative and recurring revenue options before proceeding with any sale of public land.

The meeting’s public comment period concluded after more than an hour and many individual remarks; several speakers asked the council to prioritize parks, open space, childcare facilities and a stronger tree code in future planning work.","Dozens of residents urged the City Council not to sell neighborhood parks or the Frances Anderson Center and protested the removal of a century-old coastal redwood. Speakers said parks are irreplaceable, cited environmental and access concerns, and suggested alternative revenue options.",{"_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},6078735,"Edmonds Center for the Arts reports rising attendance, plans strategic review and seeks board appointment",1407,139000,1546000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2959063-b627ee0208312f0446c2fc737d798cfd&start=139&end=1546","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2959063-b627ee0208312f0446c2fc737d798cfd/thumbnail_139000.jpg","/articles/6078735/Edmonds/Snohomish-County/Washington/Edmonds-Center-for-the-Arts-reports-rising-attendance-plans-strategic-review-and-seeks-board-appointment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6078735-8f59253949c0050b995d3b1870fad9be/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188492&Signature=ZXUUjmYAhpHqqoqFogPfeldXMQy99hOeBtblzOg-abv4tQOikGmYg6PneUgAbRqPttEqIzS5heG75EPyYzA2UjPRAowRuERe1X9pCYXfzePIAHs4RRI2JTaKsPxym7N1CaRj4Y2Wqc9buz8oyshS~jQin4r0nQW1IUEWKnyZrF-rbcQBLgheShPAjZqq-orzevvPK6Pa3sgubDCg7zmglpIfS-x89b4zSDB~yUkI7Gfn-y8Ymdk~YDecgJNjq7VfToOrlpDaCFPSm7AFX-D9fWrJgQ0b2qibZ92v34hQLb8XrgewLGi~aeSQc-CQX0BKnBEewoJlZtx1LGFR4TCMIA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ray Liao, president of the Edmonds Public Facilities District, and Kathy Liu, executive director of the Edmonds Center for the Arts, presented the venue’s annual update to the Edmonds City Council on April 1.

The Edmonds Center for the Arts, a public facilities district formed by the city in the mid-2000s to refurbish and own the former Edmonds High School, reported serving more than 7,000 people in 2024 and said it was on track to exceed that number in 2025.

The center’s leaders told the council the venue presents a season of curated performances, runs education and outreach programs for children and seniors, and hosts rentals and community events. \"We present 35 to 40 presentations across multiple genres,\" Liu said, and added the center has bolstered programming by increasing Pacific Northwest artists in response to audience feedback.

Why it matters: ECA is an institution the council created and still appoints to its five-person public facilities district board; its financial health and capital needs affect city-appointed governance, downtown visitation and cultural tourism.

Liao and Liu described multiple program areas: a season of curated shows, outreach and education (including school matinees and teacher professional development), dementia-inclusive arts workshops and arts programming in nursing and veterans homes. Liu said the center resumed its KidsStock festival in 2024 and attracted more than 3,000 attendees at a January event drawn from more than 80 ZIP codes.

On finance, the presenters summarized FY2024 as roughly $4.7 million in revenue, about $4.1 million in expenses and a net surplus of about $190,000 after depreciation. For FY2025 the organization projects an operating deficit outside of its sales tax allocation and expects to use some one-time expenses, estimating an operating shortfall of about $686,000. Liu said the center is working on financial-principles to guide decisions and has launched a strategic planning process to address operating losses.

\"We are working on defining financial success principles to guide our decision making as we continue to work towards decreasing that operating deficit,\" Liu said.

On capital projects, the center reported $127,000 invested in FY2024 on items including an envelope and seismic study, ADA accessibility upgrades, assisted-listening devices and security improvements. It expects about $147,000 of facility work in FY2025, including roof and elevator repairs, and said it is on track to complete repayment of a city loan by 2029.

Liao noted the center was created under state enabling legislation that finances bonds for public facility districts and said the district is seeking a legislative extension that would allow the sales-tax–based financing to continue beyond the current schedule. \"We are hopeful that the legislation that allows us to finance the facility will be extended,\" Liao said, adding the extension request could preserve the funding source through 2041 or further.

The presenters closed by reminding the council that one board member will be rolling off this spring and that the public facilities district expects to bring a nomination for the council’s appointment process in the months ahead.

Council members thanked ECA staff for the venue’s educational programming and for accessibility upgrades. Council member Heck praised ECA’s multigenerational offerings and the organization’s attention to ADA improvements. Council president Tibbitt and others asked about use of space and corporate rentals; Liu said the center books many rentals and retains classroom-style spaces that date to the site’s high-school era.

The city’s relationship to ECA remains formal (the council appoints the PFD board) but operationally separate: Liu stressed ECA’s independent budget and a nonprofit fundraising board that supplements earned revenue from tickets and rentals.

Looking ahead, the center said it will continue strategic planning through spring and plans public programming announcements in May. Liu asked councilors to help spread word about a current vacancy on the PFD board.","Edmonds Center for the Arts told the City Council it served more than 7,000 people in 2024, is pursuing a state-authorized bond-extension in the Legislature, and has launched a five-year strategic plan while projecting an operating deficit for FY2025.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council narrows 2025 comprehensive‑plan study to North Bull hub and critical‑areas work; staff cautioned on capacity

Edmonds residents flood council with comments after tree removal and amid talk of rezoning parks

Edmonds Center for the Arts reports rising attendance, plans strategic review and seeks board appointment