Committee explores CPTED tools and buffer-zone responses for vacant and nuisance properties

The Everett City Council Parks and Built Environment Committee on April 9 examined how Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles might be applied to both downtown vacant storefronts and long-vacant residential properties, and asked staff to identify where CPTED guidance already exists in city code and where policy clarifications could help neighborhoods with concentrated nuisance activity.

Committee members reviewed a model CPTED ordinance from the City of SeaTac and discussed common CPTED elements — lighting, sightlines, facade maintenance, landscaping and placement of entrances — that can be required for new development or applied during substantial redevelopment.

Members raised specific neighborhood concerns on Lombard Street, where board-up, fire damage and repeated police calls were described as ongoing problems. Committee members asked whether buffer zones or other nuisance-area designations could trigger different standards or expedited actions for lighting, enforcement or property remediation. A committee member noted police and utility coordination on lighting upgrades and encouraged staff to assess whether higher-lumen standards or other measures could be authorized for high-crime buffer areas.

Why it matters: CPTED measures affect public safety, maintenance costs and the design of public and private development. Applying CPTED selectively in high-need areas may alter enforcement priorities, capital improvements (for example, lighting) and interdepartmental responses to nuisance properties.

Key points - Existing code fragments: Committee members said CPTED-related items (lighting, facade requirements, landscaping) exist in different parts of the municipal code rather than in one consolidated CPTED section. They recommended staff review the code to determine how comprehensively CPTED principles are integrated and whether a single, consolidated guidance document would be useful. - Buffer zones and enforcement: Committee members asked staff to clarify how buffer-zone or nuisance-area designations interact with code enforcement and with tools such as nuisance abatement, demolition with lien authority and fines. Staff noted code enforcement processes are already used on some of the properties raised by residents and that some complaints were active or recently closed; staff planned on-site assessments. - Practical constraints: Members discussed permitting and demolition realities — including that demolition permits can require property-securement measures if no immediate rebuilding plan exists — and that demolition and hazardous-material abatement costs (asbestos, lead) can be substantial, even if permit fees are modest.

Discussion highlights - Model ordinance review: A member who reviewed SeaTac’s CPTED ordinance said it applied many CPTED requirements to new construction, major additions and redevelopment above specified thresholds and that some provisions (for example, lighting exemptions for holidays) were explicitly scoped. - Cross-department coordination: Committee members recommended a cross-department conversation among planning, code enforcement, police and public works to evaluate how buffer-zone tools, code enforcement and CPTED measures could be coordinated for areas with concentrated problems. - Target the worst cases: Members favored identifying the most severe properties for coordinated action rather than a diffuse approach; one member recommended focusing limited staff resources on the worst offenders to produce clearer results.

Next steps and committee direction - Staff research: Committee requested staff to identify where CPTED principles are already embedded in Everett’s code and which CPTED elements could be paired with buffer-zone or nuisance-area designations. - Cross-department briefing: Committee asked staff to coordinate a cross-department briefing that includes police and building-permitting staff to explain timelines and enforcement options for nuisance properties, demolition liens and abatement tools.

Ending The committee did not adopt new rules. Members asked staff for a clear summary of how CPTED principles currently operate in Everett code, and for options to apply CPTED tools alongside buffer-zone or nuisance-area measures in targeted locations. No formal motions or votes occurred.