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Issaquah committee backs Title 18 clarifying amendments for council action; policy changes to follow
Summary
Staff presented a set of non‑policy clarifying amendments to Title 18 (Issaquah’s land‑use code) to fix errors and clarify administration procedures after the 2023 overhaul. The committee agreed these are cleanup items appropriate for council consent and asked staff to return with policy amendments in June/July.
Kristen Leeson, principal planner, presented a package of clarifying amendments to Issaquah’s Title 18 on April 1, asking the Planning, Development and Environment Committee whether the proposed changes are clear and whether the committee recommends them to the full council.
Leeson said the 2023 overhaul of Title 18 left typographical errors, omissions and unclear references; the clarifying amendments correct those housekeeping items rather than change policy. Examples she cited included correcting which applications the “application completeness” section governs (land‑use applications), relocating multifamily from the commercial table into the residential table where appropriate, correcting references for adjusted building height, clarifying base versus maximum height and adding thresholds for when landscape plans and bonding are required.
Other technical corrections include:
- Clarifying floor‑area ratio and height language so applicants understand base and maximum heights. - Reinstating a Talus Architectural Review Committee review requirement for Talus developments where it was omitted in the prior update. - Correcting Old Town and Central Issaquah boundary references and mapping to match prior boundary changes. - Updating SEPA policy plan names and updating the CARA map per the latest level‑4 CARA boundary.
Public comment and committee response
Resident Connie Marsh asked whether the lighting standards would apply to single‑family homes; Leeson answered that the outdoor‑lighting standards do not apply to existing single‑family structures and that the prior exemption language had been clarified. Leeson also noted the staff will revisit a sign code amendment that was set aside after public comment and bring it back with policy amendments.
Committee members thanked staff for catching errors and said the package appears to be straightforward cleanup. The administration recommended placing the clarifying amendments on the council consent agenda; the committee agreed and asked staff to return in June or July with policy amendments.
Outcome and next steps
Staff plans to forward the clarifying amendments to the full council for action on April 21. Policy amendments addressing substantive items will return to committee in June and July.
