Council puts two comprehensive-plan amendments on 2025–26 docket; PUD seeks to remove airport overlay for new East County office

Monroe City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to place two items on the 2025–26 comprehensive-plan amendment docket: a city-initiated package of map corrections and a reconciliation of population, housing and jobs numbers, and a public-initiated comprehensive-plan amendment submitted by Snohomish County PUD to remove airport references and related overlay restrictions.

The council’s placement of both items means staff, the planning commission and council will review the applications through the fall and winter and may forward recommendations for final adoption in mid-2026.

City planning staff said the city-initiated package includes (1) a 2044 reconciliation with Snohomish County to confirm population, housing and jobs allocations and (2) a small Urban Growth Area expansion north along Chain Lake Road encompassing properties near the city water tower. The map amendments also include corrections to reflect a recent citywide rezone and to remove a private parcel incorrectly designated professional office; staff said the changes do not materially alter the city’s buildable land capacity and that updated county numbers are pending.

Snohomish County PUD presented a public-initiated amendment requesting removal of references to the Monroe Airport from multiple comprehensive-plan elements and a change to development regulations to remove the airport compatibility overlay. Doug Wilson, principal engineer for the PUD, said the PUD plans an East County Community Office on or adjacent to the first-airfield/Monroe Airport site, across from the fairgrounds, and that the airport would need to be deactivated before final planning-commission action. The airport-compatibility overlay currently imposes height, use-type and density restrictions over a wide area that PUD said would preclude the planned facility.

The council approved the PUD’s request to place the item on the docket on a 7-0 vote after staff presentation. Amy Bright and Kate Turtillo of the city planning division briefed council on process and timing: tonight’s vote is the docket-acceptance step (phase 1); staff will analyze the applications in September and October, present to the planning commission in November, and the planning commission will hold hearings and make recommendations followed by council consideration in spring 2026. A SEPA threshold determination will be part of staff review where required.

Council members asked clarifying questions about anticipated timeline, capacity to accommodate additional growth, and the need for a development agreement and interlocal with Snohomish County because the city currently lacks a master interlocal agreement. Staff and the PUD representative said they expect to coordinate a site-specific interlocal and development agreement similar to the Monroe 30 annexation process.

What happens next: staff will proceed with environmental and technical review, scheduling planning commission hearings later this year and returning recommendations to council. The PUD indicated deactivation of the airport will be required before final approval of code changes removing the airport overlay.