Residents praise walk-and-talks and press planning board on "hub" boundaries, traffic and tree cover

City planning staff reviewed results from nine neighborhood "walk-and-talk" tours and proposed draft overlays that would guide future development in Edmonds' neighborhood centers and hubs. The presentation prompted multiple residents to ask the Planning Board to reconsider proposed mapping and to flag traffic, tree canopy and school-capacity concerns.

Planning staff member Navisha (last name not given) described the outreach and how staff coded parcels into four overlay categories: areas where commercial uses could be mandated, areas where multifamily could be allowed without mandatory commercial, candidate parcels outside current boundaries that could strengthen a center, and smaller pockets that staff recommended treat separately. Navisha said nine tours were held across three days and staff received written comments and photographs from residents.

Public commenters said they…