Everett adopts 2044 plan and new development rules with targeted zoning, transit and preservation changes

The Everett City Council on June 18 adopted the Everett 2044 Comprehensive Plan and the Periodic Update Development Regulations after approving multiple staff- and council-sponsored amendments that modify transportation policies, new neighborhood commercial rules, and add studies on historic-area design and inclusionary zoning impacts.

The plan and regulations set long-range land-use and housing policy for the city through a combination of new policies, mapped rezones and development standards. Planning Director York Stevens Watts told the council the package combines the periodic update with local implementation steps, and staff recommended the set of amendments presented to the council. "This agreement is 1 of several agreements between the city and the developer," Stevens Watts said in an earlier briefing describing related implementation steps for other actions the council is considering.

Why it matters: the comprehensive plan and its companion development regulations govern where and how Everett will grow, how the city prioritizes transit and street safety, and what kinds of housing and small commercial uses neighborhoods may see. Council members and the public framed debates around displacement risk, preserving affordability and creating walkable neighborhood services.

Most notable council actions and staff directions - The council approved changes to several transportation policies to add explicit language on transportation demand management and prioritizing transit (policies referenced as TR 8, TR 15, TR 37 and TR 51 in staff materials). Staff said large projects or requests for parking reductions already require transportation-demand-management plans during permit review. - The council added an 18-month monitoring action to report back on the new “neighborhood commercial” framework by January 2027; the report is to summarize applications, conversions, and practical barriers and recommend changes if needed. - The council directed staff to work with the Historic Commission and Planning Commission to develop design-requirement recommendations for new construction adjacent to historic overlays (action DD‑2). That study is intended to generate clear, objective recommendations consistent with state rules on design standards. - On inclusionary zoning (local requirements for on-site or in-lieu affordable units), council debated competing views and added a council request for a staff study. The council voted to adopt the plan as amended and separately requested a report on the projected impacts of inclusionary zoning on affordable housing and housing affordability by July 2027 so council members can evaluate local options before statewide defaults apply.

Public testimony and council debate Public commenters and stakeholders appeared in support and opposition. Russell Joe of Master Builders (addressed the council as a representative of the industry) urged council to exclude EMC 19.09 (the draft inclusionary zoning code) from the final regulations, arguing it would reduce housing production and raise costs: "We're asking that the final, Everett 2044 plan not include EMC 19 oh 9, the inclusionary zoning." Bobby Thompson, executive director of the Housing Consortium of Everett and Snohomish County, spoke for the proposed inclusionary approach and asked council to adopt it without a sunset clause: "But today, I urge you to adopt this proposal without watering it down and without adding a sunset clause." The transcript shows both positions were considered by council and staff.

Selected zoning and standards changes adopted or amended at third reading - Neighborhood commercial: the council adopted a framework to allow small-scale commercial uses on specified corner lots and corridors (map-based) with a set of allowed uses, special limits on certain uses, and development standards. The council set operating-hour limits for neighborhood-commercial uses (typical baseline approved: 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.) with an exception pathway for additional hours when the planning director finds the proposal compatible under the administrative review process described in Title 15. - Allowed uses in neighborhood commercial include small grocery/convenience, coffee shops, clinics (with a local carve‑out limiting clinics in a defined area near Providence/Colby), small-scale lodging capped at five rooms for new facilities, day-care centers limited to 20 children/adults in neighborhood-commercial locations and adaptive‑reuse allowances for historic structures. - Rezones and map edits: a number of parcel-specific rezones were approved or adjusted (examples included changes around the Norton Grand historic overlay and other neighborhood corrections included in the exhibit maps). - Nonconforming accessory structures: the council approved language allowing a detached accessory structure with nonconforming setbacks to be demolished and a dwelling unit to be built in the same footprint when the new structure meets current building code and the planning department certifies the location.

Legal and statutory context Staff and councilors discussed state law and recent legislation. The record includes references to the local Everett Municipal Code (EMC 10.13 and EMC 19.09 as used in the staff materials) and to the Washington Growth Management Act (RCW 36.70A), which informed how the policy language was framed. Staff and commenters also noted the 2025 state transit‑oriented development package—cited in the meeting as House Bill 1491—which includes requirements for inclusionary measures in station areas by 2029; speakers said adopting a local program now preserves local flexibility.

Votes and next steps The council adopted the comprehensive plan and the development regulations package as amended at third reading; the roll call recorded unanimous approval by the members present. Several parts of implementation are now left to administrative code changes and permit review. Staff was directed to return periodic monitoring and targeted reports (neighborhood commercial report by Jan. 2027; inclusionary‑zoning impacts report by July 2027) and to carry out the historic‑design recommendations process with advisory bodies.

Ending note: the council also scheduled separate final actions at the June 25 meeting on related items including a resolution on prohibited areas for drug‑related activity and a proposed amendment to the riverfront property disposition agreement (the grocery‑store deadline), both discussed earlier on June 18.