Ryan Windisch, the community and economic development director for the City of Sumner, outlined proposed changes to the city’s Town Center Plan at a public meeting.

Windisch said the plan area is “basically an area within a half a mile walk of the Downtown Sumner Train Station” and that staff are proposing an innovation and enterprise district overlay to allow “small scale manufacturing, artisan lofts, and incubator type businesses” near the Sumner Post Office area. He also said staff would allow accessory dwelling units in the town center “per state law,” and recommended reducing some building height allowances in the historic central business district from five stories to four.

The plan would also establish a transition zone around the town center’s edge, which Windisch described as intended to “prohibit commercial uses in that area to protect single family residential in the town center area.” Windisch characterized the presentation as a description of proposals under consideration as part of the 2025 Town Center Plan update.

Why it matters: the Town Center Plan defines future land use and zoning decisions within walking distance of the downtown train station and Main Street. Changes to allowed uses, height limits and dwelling types affect property owners, potential developers, nearby single-family neighborhoods and the pedestrian character of downtown.

Details: the overlay described by staff would broaden uses in a core area (Windisch pointed to the Sumner Post Office vicinity) to permit light manufacturing and incubator spaces that staff characterized as small-scale and artisan-focused. Staff described accessory dwelling units as being allowed in the area “per state law,” reflecting state-level ADU statutes that require local jurisdictions to permit certain ADU types. On height limits, Windisch said the staff recommendation would reduce several existing five-story allowances in the historic central business district to four stories to better match the district’s character.

Status and next steps: Windisch presented these as staff proposals; no formal council action or vote was recorded in the presentation. Additional public review and formal legislative amendments (zoning code and plan map changes) would be required before any change takes effect.

Ending: The Town Center Plan update was presented as an early-stage proposal; Windisch described this as part of the 2025 update and did not provide a timeline for formal hearings or adoption.