The Edmonds City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to extend for 60 days an interim ordinance that maintains development standards for Neighborhood Centers and Hubs while staff and the Planning Board finish a permanent ordinance.

Planning and Development staff told the council the extension is a short stopgap to avoid a lapse in rules while additional review continues. "All we're doing here is asking to push out the interim ordinance for another 60 days while the Planning Board and then council finish up their reviews of this work," said Mike Clutchton, Planning and Development.

Why it matters: City staff told the council the interim ordinance was adopted to implement the city’s comprehensive plan and that the current interim rules were scheduled to expire before the permanent code could be finalized. Without an extension, the standards would lapse and the city would return to prior regulations while work continued.

What council discussed: Councilmember Payne moved the extension after staff opened the public hearing. There were questions from council members about whether the city could ask for a six‑month renewal under state law; the city attorney advised that state statute authorizes a six‑month renewal but that a shorter 60‑day extension is also legally permissible. Councilmember Nand asked whether restrictions on single‑family construction within hubs remained in effect under the interim ordinance; staff responded that the restriction remained in effect during the interim period and that changes could be considered in the permanent ordinance.

Public input: One Edmonds resident, Ken Reedy, spoke during the hearing raising concerns about the statutory basis for a 60‑day extension and urged the council to instead seek the full six months available under state law. Reedy also urged the council to ensure public hearings are held and not bypassed when interim ordinances are extended.

Outcome and next steps: Councilmember Payne moved to extend the interim development standards by 60 days; the motion was seconded and approved unanimously. Staff told the council Planning Board work will continue through July with additional council review expected in July and August; staff said a final permanent ordinance was hoped for before the customary August break. The ordinance remains subject to additional public review and final council adoption.

Ending: The extension keeps the interim Neighborhood Centers and Hubs standards in force for the short term; council and staff said they expect to return with the permanent code for further public hearings and final action in July or August.