Kenmore reviews Bastyr University master plan proposing up to 1,000 market-rate units; extended environmental review likely

The Kenmore Planning Commission on June 17 heard an introductory presentation and public comment on Bastyr University’s proposal to update its campus master plan and seek amendments to the city comprehensive plan and the Kenmore Municipal Code to allow multifamily market-rate housing ancillary to the university’s institutional uses.

The presentation, led by Kenmore city staff and Todd Hall, principal planner, explained that the application was submitted April 18 and that the city issued a request for information on May 16. Hall said staff expect the applicant’s response by Aug. 14 and that no decisions were expected at the June meeting. He warned the scale and complexity of the proposal make it likely the city would issue a SEPA determination of significance, which would require a supplemental environmental impact statement under Washington Administrative Code 197-11-604(d).

Why it matters: The proposal would change long-standing limits on how the 51-acre Bastyr campus interfaces with nearby St. Edward Park and surrounding neighborhoods. If approved, it would open parts of the campus to housing that would be available to the general public rather than limited to students and faculty, alter tree and wetland footprints, and prompt a detailed environmental, traffic and public-services review.

What the application seeks: According to the materials presented, Bastyr’s submittal includes an update of the university’s 2009 master plan (which expires Dec. 31, 2025), amendments to the comprehensive plan land-use description for the campus, and changes to multiple Kenmore Municipal Code sections…