Auburn staff present downtown subarea plan update, select higher‑growth EIS alternative to meet regional targets

Jason Crum, director of Community Development, told the Auburn City Council on Aug. 25 that the city’s updated downtown subarea plan (the 2024 plan) is intended to guide growth for the next 20 years and that staff selected the higher‑growth alternative in the Environmental Impact Statement to meet regional growth targets and maintain grant eligibility.

"Alternative 3, the higher growth alternative, was selected as a result of feedback, data analysis, the need for Auburn to meet our growth targets," Crum said during the presentation. Crum said the plan aligns with the Puget Sound Regional Council’s Vision 2050 and Transportation 2050 and with the comprehensive plan adopted Dec. 2, 2024.

Crum said Downtown Auburn is a Puget Sound Regional Council‑designated regional growth center; the plan is intended to help the city accommodate allocations of roughly 19,520 new jobs and 12,212 new housing units by 2044. The draft subarea plan would expand the downtown boundary north of Third Street,…