Residents urge inclusionary zoning as Everett holds public hearing on 2044 comprehensive plan update

Everett — Dozens of residents and community organizations urged the Everett City Council on Wednesday to keep inclusionary zoning in the draft Everett 2044 comprehensive plan, saying the policy is needed to prevent displacement in low‑income, transit‑adjacent neighborhoods.

At the public hearing on the periodic update and implementing development regulations, speakers from Casino Road and other neighborhoods described housing instability, overcrowding and recent eviction notices. The Planning Commission chair, who addressed the council during the hearing, also urged the council to reconsider removal of inclusionary zoning language that had been part of earlier drafts.

“Removing this policy from the final draft disregards the time, energy, and lived experience that community members brought to this process,” said a Casino Road resident during public comment. Planning Commission Chair Demi Chatters told the council she was “very disappointed in the planning commission in their choice to remove the recommendation for inclusionary zoning” in the version that reached the council and urged the council to “take another look.”

Why this matters: Everett’s update is intended to guide growth through 2044 and to meet state and county housing forecasts. City staff said the update must balance increased housing capacity with protections against displacement; one specific tool — inclusionary zoning — would require a share of units in certain new developments to be affordable. Supporters said the policy is a widely used tool in nearby jurisdictions and is particularly urgent where rail and other infrastructure investments may raise market pressures.

What happened at the hearing - Public comment: More than a dozen residents, advocates and service providers testified. Several speakers from Casino Road and South Everett asked the council to retain inclusionary zoning in the final plan; others raised concerns about neighborhood commercial rules, parking, alley access and design standards for porches and street‑facing entrances. - Planning Commission position: Demi Chatters, chair of the Planning Commission, explained the planning commission’s review history and said the city needs to accelerate housing production and better protect renters. She noted the commission previously recommended inclusionary zoning in earlier drafts and expressed disappointment that the recommendation was removed in the transmitted version. - Council procedure: The council opened and then closed the public hearing on the two complementary ordinances (the comprehensive plan and the development regulations). Council will take final readings and potential amendments at the June 18, 2025 meeting. Staff said they will issue a final draft packet on Friday ahead of the June 18 votes.

Substantive concerns raised by commenters - Inclusionary zoning: Advocates argued inclusionary zoning would help current Casino Road residents stay in place as transit and other investments arrive. Speakers noted that more than a dozen jurisdictions in the Puget Sound region have inclusionary zoning policies, and urged Everett to be the next. - Parking and alley access: Several commenters asked the city to restrict curb cuts and require parking and trash access from alleys where alleys exist, to preserve on‑street parking and neighborhood character. - Neighborhood commercial framework: Speakers supported tighter limits on hours (suggested 7 a.m.–10 p.m. rather than 6 a.m.–11 p.m.), limits on the size and types of clinics permitted, and a prohibition on drive‑through uses in the proposed neighborhood commercial overlay. - Design standards: Commenters recommended minimum porch depth and building transparency rules that preserve street‑facing entrances, and asked the city to adopt floor‑area ratio standards consistent with state model language to limit over‑scaled buildings in neighborhoods.

Next steps The council closed the hearing and will consider final votes and any council amendments at its June 18 meeting. Staff said a final packet will be released this Friday and that council amendments at the June 18 meeting will be incorporated into the final adoption materials. Several council members and staff said they plan additional outreach with neighborhoods that requested refinements to height and transition rules.

Ending note: The hearing showed strong community engagement and competing priorities — a push to meet state growth targets while seeking policy tools to protect low‑income residents. Several council members signaled they want more time and additional detail on specific neighborhood requests before finalizing the plan.