The Edmonds Planning Board on Sept. 24 recommended a focused amendment to the cityomprehensive Plan docket for the North Pole (North Bowl) neighborhood hub, narrowing the potential expansion along Grandview Street while adding two parcels south of Puget Drive to the hub recommendation.

What the board decided: After public testimony and discussion, the board voted to send Council a recommendation that the North Pole hub not be expanded over the full Grandview Street area shown in an earlier option and instead follow a more limited footprint; the motion that passed combined option 2 (limit the hub to the existing BN frontage parcels) with the addition of parcels immediately south of Puget Drive.

Why it matters: Residents who live adjacent to the proposed hub areas told the board they fear rapid upzoning will bring traffic, tree loss and development incompatible with narrow neighborhood streets. "This issue has caused a lot of stress for me and my neighbors," resident Scott said during audience comments, adding that he "strongly support[s] option 2 in the amendment" because Grandview and nearby parcels have narrow roads and creek-side lots that are unsuited to dense development. Linda Hood, who said a developer recently surveyed 1030 Grandview, told the board surveyors had flagged 22 very large trees and five small trees on that lot and raised concerns that plans prepared under current rules might differ from what a future hub designation would allow.

Board discussion and staff context: Staff summarized three alternatives previously discussed: (1) expand the hub along Grandview and adjacent parcels; (2) limit the hub to the existing BN (neighborhood business) frontage parcels; and (3) a hybrid that keeps some parcels on Olympic View Drive and the BN frontage while removing other Grandview parcels. Concerns raised by the public and board included narrow easements (one parcel has a single-car-width access easement), creek buffers, and the prospect that a property owner could bring a permit under current zoning before the comp-plan change takes effect. Board members also noted that transportation and utility capacity assessments inform whether a hub designation is feasible in the long term.

Public comment summarized: Scott (resident) urged the board to adopt option 2 (or similar) so there is time for further study and community engagement. Linda Hood said 1030 Grandview—recently sold to a developerwas surveyed and the agent or developer had discussed eight- to 12-unit townhome scenarios; Hood said she believed the lot could not accommodate 12 townhomes and raised tree protection concerns. A caller also urged attention to stormwater in the Deer Creek aquifer and supported preserving the Frances Anderson Center through the CIP/CFP process.

Action and next steps: The boardvote was a recommendation to Council only; it does not change zoning or permit entitlements. Staff said the recommendation and map changes will be forwarded to Council with the board's deliberations and that any resulting code changes or infrastructure requirements would proceed through the council process, including transportation and utility reviews.

Ending: The board told staff to provide updated maps and to include the boardrecommendation in the packet to City Council, and the board noted the change preserves a narrower footprint on Grandview while keeping the two parcels south of Puget Drive within the hub study area.