Planning staff to publish Everett 2044 draft; public facilities element and mobile-home protections highlighted

On April 1, 2025, Everett planning staff told the Planning Commission they will publish the draft Everett 2044 comprehensive plan and associated development regulations for state review later this week, and staff presented the capital facilities and utilities (public facilities and services) element.

Planning staff (identified in the record as K.) said the public facilities and services element combines the former capital facilities plan element and utilities element, and that state requirements (RCW and Washington Administrative Code) require inventories, forecasts of need, proposed locations and capacities for new or expanded facilities, a financing plan covering at least the first six years, and a reassessment of land use if funding falls short.

K. told commissioners the draft shows the city has the capacity to serve projected housing and employment growth overall, though some systems may need new revenues or demand management. K. also named the utility and service providers that factor into the plan: Snohomish County Public Utility District (electric), Puget Sound Energy (gas), private solid-waste contractors (Rubitino and Waste Management listed in the packet), and multiple telecommunications providers. School capacity is governed by Everett and Mukilteo school districts, staff said.

The commission heard that the city will publish the draft package for state review and a public comment period this Friday. K. said the state review period requires notification; staff referenced 30 days and acknowledged the review period could be longer (“or 60 days, even more,” in staffs words). Staff said they will prepare public-comment reports and circulate summaries to the commission and council.

The commission also discussed council amendments already made to the draft map and policies. K. said council approved changing several corridors from higher mixed-urban categories to lower ones (for example, parts of Nineteenth Avenue were reduced from MU-15 to MU-7 at Councilmember Sarlingos request). Staff also said the council approved increases in height designations near Everett High School and the Everett Public Library parking lot (moving those areas from seven- to 15-story designations).

On mobile-home protections, staff said the draft includes a new policy to "protect manufactured/mobile home parks from redevelopment into other uses" and that staff are exploring a targeted overlay zone called "mobile home park" that would limit allowed uses on selected parcels to preserve park use. K. emphasized the limitation of city authority: an overlay can remove redevelopment opportunity but cannot compel an owner to continue operating a mobile-home park, nor directly control rent increases; state law provides options such as tenant purchase assistance or buyouts in some cases. Staff noted there are three mobile-home parks inside the city that are under consideration for overlays, and that additional regulations would follow in separate implementing code work if Council favors the approach.

After the presentation, developer Ishmael Mohammed spoke during public comment to urge more direct engagement with builders and architects when evaluating permitting reforms. The commission did not take formal votes on regulations at the April 1 meeting; the minutes from the March 18 meeting were approved by voice without objection during the opening procedural items.