Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parking Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission reviews state-driven parking changes and city approach for Everett 2044
Summary
Planning staff outlined how recent state laws and pending legislation constrain local parking rules and proposed a baseline of one parking space per dwelling with transit-area reductions; commissioners debated how far to go now and what to reserve for later.
City staff told the Everett Planning Commission on May 20 that a series of recent state laws limit what cities may require for parking and that Everett will need to further modify its rules in the months ahead.
Staff summarized several statutory constraints. They said 2024 Senate Bill 615 set requirements for parking dimensions and surfacing and that a prior 2023 law restricts cities from requiring parking for accessory dwelling units within a half-mile walking distance of a major transit stop. Staff also described a more recent legislature action, referenced in the meeting as “this year’s Senate Bill 5184,” that imposes stricter caps on local parking requirements and will require Everett to adjust codes by January 2027.
How Everett proposes to respond: for the current draft staff proposed a residential baseline of one parking space per dwelling unit, reduced to 0.75 spaces per unit when a dwelling is within a quarter-mile of frequent transit, and no required parking for middle housing located within a half-mile of a major transit stop. ADUs under 1,200 square feet may be exempt in transit-adjacent locations, and certain affordable, senior or limited commercial uses can also qualify for reduced or zero parking under the new state rules.
Why it matters: staff said the new limits will affect infill feasibility, garage demolition decisions and how developers plan parking in different neighborhoods. Planning Director York Stevens Wojd told commissioners this is “a big one,” and that Everett has 18 months to align some local standards with the most recent law.
Public commenters and commissioners questioned market effects and neighborhood impacts. Developer and resident Steven Helpany told the commission that “garage parking involves driveways” and urged flexibility to avoid blocking feasible townhouse designs. Commissioner comments ranged from urging immediate, uniform reductions across residential zones to calls for a more cautious, phased approach that focuses first on residential and leaves commercial rules for later analysis.
Staff said some practical details remain unsettled: the legal definition of “major transit stop” differs in separate statutes (for example, ADU rules use a “frequent transit” threshold while other provisions use rail and bus rapid transit), proximity is measured as walking distance on the pedestrian network rather than straight-line distance, and local sidewalk and frontage requirements can interact with parking exemptions.
No votes or code adoptions occurred. Staff will refine the parking tables in the final draft and post a standalone parking exhibit on the project website; commissioners asked staff to publish the parking table as a separate PDF for public review.
