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Council warned of planning‑staff shortages as Title 18 zoning review, TOD and lost Pioneer project remain priorities
Summary
Council heard that Issaquah’s planning division has four of six planner positions vacant, that development‑related code (Title 18) is under review, and that the loss of the Pioneer Project site has renewed concern about delivering promised housing near planned light rail.
City staff told the council on July 12 that Issaquah’s Planning Division is operating with multiple vacancies after recent departures and that the staffing gaps coincide with several substantial land‑use and housing workstreams the council will review this year.
Kristin Lisonbee is acting planning manager, staff said, and the administration listed four planner vacancies following recent separations (Dan Martinez, Doug Yormick, Steven Padua and Valerie Porter were named during the meeting). City staff said they are actively recruiting and expect a largely new team in place over the coming months.
The council discussed Title 18 (the land‑use code) administrative amendments and broader questions about whether some Title 18 provisions are impeding housing development, particularly transit‑oriented development (TOD). Staff reminded the council that the code was intentionally crafted to balance housing and natural‑resource protections and that any change requires community engagement and caution.
Council members also raised the recent loss of the “Pioneer Project” site — land that had been earmarked for transit‑oriented housing — and said it highlighted risks to the city’s objectives for housing near light rail. One council member said: “If we cannot get that right, we are either going to lose light rail or we are going to get light rail that is surrounded by parking lots.”
Staff flagged multiple ongoing items that intersect with housing policy, including permit processing improvements and Title 18 revisions, and urged the council to prioritize projects this fall so the incoming council and mayor in January can act on them. Staff also said the city has a temporary coordinator for permitting moving toward a permanent hire and that planning recruitment is underway.
Council members asked staff to return with comparison data showing Issaquah’s permitting timelines and how they compare to peers, and to bring Title 18 options to the Planning, Development & Environment (PDE) committee for a more detailed conversation.
No new land‑use code changes were adopted at the retreat; staff were directed to continue the Title 18 review and to report back with prioritized options, staffing timelines, and permit‑processing metrics.
