Mill Creek launches South Town Center subarea planning process with aggressive timeline

Mill Creek officials opened a large-scale South Town Center subarea planning effort on June 26, announcing a phased master plan that will include analysis and visioning, design exploration, an Environmental Impact Statement and a planned-action ordinance aimed at guiding redevelopment of an aging, auto-oriented area south of the existing Town Center.

The plan “is a tremendous opportunity to transform an aging auto oriented area into a vibrant mixed‑use gateway,” Jeff Ryan, director of planning and community development, said in presenting the project. “We see this as an extension of the existing town center.”

The city framed the effort as building on work completed during the 2024 comprehensive plan update, which rezoned much of the subarea and removed density caps so it could meet housing‑capacity goals “required by the state,” Ryan said. The forthcoming master plan would go beyond zoning changes by producing design controls, performing an EIS scoping process, and drafting a planned‑action ordinance to set engineering and design expectations for future redevelopment.

Ryan identified the…