Everett committee plans inventory, stakeholder roundtable to address vacant storefronts

The Everett City Council Parks and Built Environment Committee on April 9 discussed next steps for a vacant-storefronts policy development process that focuses on gathering on-the-ground information, coordinating with downtown stakeholders and sequencing any code changes to follow the city’s pending comprehensive plan.

Jennifer Gregerson, planning staff, told the committee that planning staff “haven't started work on any changes or proposals for the language that's in our code around vacant storefronts because they're still focused on the comprehensive plan.” She said the comprehensive plan is scheduled for council adoption on June 11 and that staff work on code changes would follow that action.

The committee agreed on a multi-step approach: have a summer intern conduct a storefront census and outreach, gather input from downtown stakeholders such as the Downtown Everett Association and the Chamber, and hold a public listening session or town hall before drafting code updates. Council member Voguely offered to lead grassroots outreach, saying, “I want a town hall. I'm putting my fist down.”

Why it matters: vacant ground-floor storefronts affect downtown vibrancy, safety perceptions and the economic health of small businesses. Committee members repeatedly flagged enforcement capacity as a constraint and emphasized that notifying property owners about current requirements should follow any code changes to avoid sending out-of-date compliance notices.

Key details - Timeline and sequencing: Planning staff will prioritize comprehensive-plan work through June 11; code revision work on vacant storefronts is expected to start afterward. The committee indicated June meetings as target milestones for stakeholder engagement and a possible public event in June. - Intern tasking and limits: The public works department is slated to host a summer intern to perform an inventory and outreach. Staff said the intern's outreach would be informational (letters to property owners about observed conditions and existing code) rather than an enforcement action. Committee members asked for clarity on the intern’s host department, hours and specific scope before finalizing tasks. - Stakeholder participation: Committee members identified property owners, business owners, the Downtown Everett Association, the Chamber and the Small Business Alliance as stakeholders to invite to a roundtable or listening session to surface practical barriers to filling storefronts and to help shape any code changes. - Existing code and past ordinance: Committee discussion noted an existing vacant-storefronts ordinance adopted about 15 years ago that requires some facade treatments (for example, window displays or art) and includes a notification requirement. Members said some parts of that ordinance (for example, a 30-day owner-notification requirement) have proven difficult to enforce and that a vacancy tax proposal had previously been mentioned but is not being pursued at this time.

Discussion highlights - Update before notice: Multiple members stressed that the city should update code language before notifying owners about noncompliance so owners would be informed about the current rules rather than a code that may change soon. - Targeted enforcement: Committee member Ben Zarlingo urged a pragmatic approach of using the existing code to focus enforcement on the “worst offenders” and to match those targets to available enforcement capacity so the city could test what works before recommending sweeping ordinance changes. - Learning from others: Members recommended the intern research other cities' approaches and report back on effective practices and pitfalls. They also suggested the Downtown Everett Association likely already maintains an inventory and could be a close partner to avoid duplicating work.

Next steps and committee direction - Staff follow-up: Planning and public works staff will confirm the intern’s host department, hours and scope and report back to the committee. - Stakeholder outreach: Committee members asked staff to coordinate with downtown partners on outreach and suggested the committee hold a public listening session in June (timing not final) to gather candid input from business and property owners. - Code sequencing: Committee members emphasized that code language should be reviewed and revised, as needed, after the comprehensive plan adoption and informed by stakeholder input and the intern’s inventory.

Ending Committee members framed the process as incremental: gather data, consult stakeholders, use the existing code selectively to pilot enforcement, then recommend ordinance changes informed by real-world experience. No formal motions or votes were taken during the discussion.