Edmonds planning board declines to extend required ground‑floor commercial in Westgate and leaves slope protections under review

The Edmonds Planning Board voted to omit an expansion of the required ground‑floor commercial overlay on properties west of 70 Eighth Avenue West in the Westgate area, and agreed to keep existing protected‑slope markings in place while staff returns with more background and technical context.

Board members debated whether to extend a commercial frontage requirement to the end of the block on 70 Eighth Avenue West. After discussion the board put a motion on the table to not extend the overlay; the motion passed. The board’s action leaves commercial use permitted but does not require ground‑floor commercial for the parcels west of the current blue overlay line.

Why this matters: Westgate is a mixed‑use neighborhood center where the city has been weighing incentives (height bonuses and other benefits) against requirements like active ground‑floor uses. Requiring commercial frontage in areas that are currently single‑family or low‑intensity residential could force redevelopment patterns that board members said should be left to market decisions unless there is clear public benefit.

Key facts and what was decided

- Motion (not to extend overlay): The board moved to omit the required ground‑floor commercial overlay for the properties west of 70 Eighth Avenue West (the blue line shown on the map). The motion carried. The board did not place new restrictions that would prohibit commercial use; it only declined to mandate it.

- Public hearing and slope protections: During public comment, residents urged the board to retain the Westgate “protected slopes” (magenta) lines and to treat slope safety as the top priority. One commenter said, “Keep the lines. . . . Safety has to be your number 1 priority.” The board did not remove or change the slope markings at this meeting; members asked staff to return with the history and technical basis for the Westgate slope demarcation so the board can consider whether to keep, change or standardize it across other hillside areas.

Supporting details and context

- Planning staff explained that commercial uses remain permitted on those parcels even if the overlay is not extended; the debate concerned whether the city should require ground‑floor commercial in exchange for incentives (for example, additional floor area or height). Several board members said they prefer leaving the decision to property owners and the market in this block, while others noted potential public benefits from active ground‑floor users near the high school and transit stops.

- On the slope issue, staff and several board members noted the magenta line in Westgate is a legacy mapping decision added during an earlier code update rather than the product of a current, parcel‑level geotechnical study. Members asked staff to bring back (1) the origin/history of that line, (2) any technical basis available, and (3) recommendations for whether the magenta demarcation should remain a site‑specific no‑build line or instead be handled through the city’s critical‑areas/geotechnical review process.

Quotes

“Keep the lines,” said Arlene (resident), arguing the Westgate slopes are degraded and that past slides show the system is vulnerable. “Safety has to be your number 1 priority.”

What’s next

The board will revisit the Westgate slope mapping after staff provides a history and the technical information requested. Staff said the city will later bring a citywide critical‑areas/code update; the board directed staff to treat Westgate’s slope line as a topic to resolve in that context rather than remove it at this meeting.

Discussion vs. decision

- Decision: The planning board formally declined to extend a required ground‑floor commercial overlay to the parcels west of 70 Eighth Avenue West (motion carried). - Discussion/direction: The board deferred any change to the Westgate protected‑slope magenta line and asked staff to return with historic and technical documentation before the board considers modifying it.