Mount Vernon planners unveil draft 10-year comprehensive plan; zoning changes and infrastructure prioritized

Mount Vernon planning staff presented a citywide comprehensive plan framing at a public meeting, laying out a 10-year vision that emphasizes housing diversity, infrastructure upgrades and neighborhood-specific guidance.

The plan proposes a shift from the city's current units‑per‑acre approach to floor‑area‑ratio (FAR) controls to regulate building bulk and form rather than only unit counts. Staff said the draft gives broad, neighborhood‑by‑neighborhood examples — low, medium and high density — but does not lock in parcel‑level zoning until the formal zoning update that will follow the plan.

Planners told the board the document is intended as both a long‑range 10‑year vision and a template for implementation. Staff described three linked steps: (1) the comprehensive plan and the “place making” chapter with maps showing generalized low/medium/high density, (2) neighborhood‑level refinement, and (3) adoption of a new zoning ordinance that implements the plan’s rules.

Why it matters: The draft addresses recurring local concerns the city raised during public engagement — flooding and sewer capacity,…