The Lake Forest Park Planning Commission on Oct. 14, 2025 (scheduled public‑hearing date discussed at the meeting) agreed the draft climate element amendment is on track for the review process and will be forwarded for the city’s required reviews while removing a proposed study of paid off‑street parking (policy CE 6.7) from the recommended policies.

Commissioners spent the meeting evaluating edits proposed by consultant Cascadia and debating whether the element should present aspirational regionally‑set greenhouse‑gas targets — including a 50 percent reduction goal — and how much the city can influence large contributors such as aviation. The commission also discussed sequencing and budget constraints in Cascadia’s contract and confirmed a staff plan to send the draft to the Washington State Department of Commerce for the 60‑day review before returning to the commission for a public hearing.

Why it matters: The city’s climate element translates regional and state greenhouse‑gas expectations into local policies. Commissioners said the element should signal the city’s role and options, while noting the limits of municipal authority — particularly over emissions attributed to air travel and pass‑through traffic — and weighing equity concerns about policies that could affect lower‑income households.

Discussion details

Commissioner Meredith raised concerns about the 50 percent target, emphasizing potential disproportionate effects on lower‑income residents and everyday activities. Meredith said: "There's a lot of talk about vehicles, my vehicle miles traveled and everything ... I think it's important to remember that when we talk about that, talking about those vehicle miles are the way people earn their livings and trips to the doctor and trips to, you know, take kids to soccer or orchestra or whatever it is." Meredith added that public engagement had not, in her view, asked neighbors which specific tradeoffs they would accept to meet the target: "If you kind of got into the nitty gritty of how that goal is going to affect their daily lives ... I don't think that lots of people would be very happy about that."

Staff and other commissioners noted the 50 percent target is reflected in regional plans and state legislation and that the city’s climate action plan and the new element are meant to show the city’s share of regional obligations. A staff member explained the background data came from regional modeling and Cascadia’s wedge analysis and recommended adding explanatory detail in the background materials rather than redoing the model at this stage.

John (email author referenced by commissioners) had submitted a data critique by email arguing the background chart conflates pass‑through and aviation emissions with locally controllable emissions. Commissioners agreed staff should pass the note to Cascadia and ask the consultant to add clarifying detail or a supplemental breakout in the background data rather than reopen the whole modeling exercise.

CE 6.7 — paid parking study removed

After extended discussion about whether studying paid off‑street parking belonged in the plan, Commissioner Maddie moved to remove CE 6.7 (the proposed paid off‑street parking study) from the draft policies. The motion was seconded (second not specified in the transcript) and passed on voice vote; the clerk recorded simply that the commission "struck CE 6.7."

Timeline and next steps

Staff described a tentative schedule: the planning commission public hearing is scheduled for Oct. 14, staff will send the draft to the Washington State Department of Commerce for its 60‑day review, and city council touchpoints were anticipated the week of Oct. 20 with a council presentation and subsequent public hearing. Staff noted Cascadia’s contract approaches its maximum number of council touches, so they plan to reserve remaining budgeted meeting availability for necessary appearances.

Commissioners agreed the element is policy‑level and that most draft policies use non‑mandatory language ("encourage," "support," "participate") rather than regulatory mandates. Several commissioners said that stance is appropriate for a city of Lake Forest Park’s size, while urging clarity in the background about which emissions categories the city can influence.

A final recommendation

The commission indicated general consensus that the draft is "on track" to move forward with the scheduled public hearing and refinements requested of the consultant (background data clarification, incorporation of the agreed edits, and removal of CE 6.7). If substantive changes arise from public comment, commissioners said they would revisit them before making a formal recommendation to council.

Ending

Staff will forward the draft and Cascadia's responses to commissioners and to the Department of Commerce for review. The commission will hold a public hearing (Oct. 14 as presented at the meeting) and then consider a formal recommendation to city council after that hearing.