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Planning commission reviews urban-form goals, centers and minimum heights for new growth
Summary
City planning staff presented draft urban-form goals and a centers framework that would set minimum heights, prohibit auto-oriented uses in pedestrian centers, and encourage breaking up large redevelopment blocks; commissioners discussed trade-offs between downtown concentration and neighborhood nodes.
City of Everett planning staff presented proposed urban-form goals, policies and a centers framework to the Everett Planning Commission on Nov. 19, seeking confirmation of where the city should direct future growth and what regulatory tools it should use.
Staff framed the discussion as part of the comprehensive-plan update and said the package ties to zoning map changes and use matrices the commission has reviewed in prior meetings. The urban-form proposal includes policy language to guide redevelopment of large sites, urban-design standards and a centers concept that distinguishes regional downtown, community hubs and neighborhood nodes.
Key proposals: Staff described rules and design expectations that would apply in centers. For community hubs (the city’s mid-scale centers), staff proposed a minimum height of four stories and encouraged mixed-use development, rear or side parking and limits on auto-oriented uses. Neighborhood nodes would carry a two-story minimum; downtown and transit-oriented corridors would retain higher standards. The draft includes a concept to break large redevelopment parcels into a grid of blocks—staff described a 300-by-600-foot block dimension used in other jurisdictions as a guideline for subdividing very large sites.
Why it matters: Staff said designating centers helps prioritize infrastructure and public-space investments, encourage walkability, and concentrate retail and transit access. Commissioners and staff also discussed compatibility issues where tall mixed-use zones abut single-family county parcels; staff noted existing code (Everett Municipal Code chapter 19.22, Heights chapter) contains step-down and height-reduction provisions intended to ease transitions.
Discussion highlights: Commissioners asked whether centers are meant to be precise polygons or “fuzzy” areas, how boundaries would interact with official neighborhood maps and county parcels, and whether some corridors (for example, Evergreen Way) would be over-designated if every intersection were called a center. Commissioners also discussed whether the city should accept residential uses near freight and port operations in some locations, and how to balance housing goals against noise and operational impacts.
Regulatory connections and next steps: Staff said some of the proposed center policies would be implemented through zoning and the design-and-development chapter, while freight routes and noise issues would touch the transportation and marine port elements. The draft zoning map presented in packet materials includes placeholders (LI vs. LIMU) and staff described further outreach to property owners and additional memos for future commission meetings. No motions or votes were taken.
Ending: Commissioners asked staff to return with more granular maps, compatibility analyses and comparisons to peer-city recovery and occupancy data. Staff said the centers framework is a draft and that more targeted materials and stakeholder outreach will follow.
