Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Snoqualmie council approves amendment tightening retail waiver process for Snoqualmie Ridge 1, 5‑1 vote
Summary
The Snoqualmie City Council voted 5‑1 on June 9 to approve a resolution amending two conditions of the Snoqualmie Ridge 1 Mixed Use Final Plan and related development standards, lowering a minimum retail requirement to 90% and removing two conditions while limiting waiver authority.
The Snoqualmie City Council on June 9 approved a resolution amending the Snoqualmie Ridge 1 Mixed Use Final Plan (MUFP) and development standards, changing two conditions of approval and aligning the MUFP with a code amendment to the municipal code's waiver process.
The action, introduced by Councilor Erin Washington, follows a recent ordinance change to Chapter 17.37 and was brought forward after recommendations from the Planning Commission and Economic Development Commission. "This will allow both the downtown and the property on Center Boulevard to fall under the waiver process," Community Development Director Mona Davis told the council.
Why it matters: the amendment changes how retail space requirements are enforced in Snoqualmie Ridge 1, including reducing a previously higher minimum retail‑use requirement at Center Boulevard to 90 percent and removing two conditions (identified in the packet as condition 4 and condition 5) from the MUFP. The change formalizes the retail waiver pathway in both the MUFP and the municipal code.
Council discussion and vote: Mayor Pro Tem Holloway said he opposed the measure and raised concerns about fixing a numeric retail minimum for the next 20 years, citing uncertainty in retail markets. "I'm still having issues ... I'll probably be outvoted, but for that reason, I'll vote no tonight," Holloway said. Councilor Watton and others defended the amendment as an aspirational policy that had citizen‑group support; Councilor Watton said it raises the bar and preserves legislative oversight of waiver decisions.
The motion to approve the resolution was moved by Councilor Washington and seconded by Councilor Watton. The council voted 5 yes, 1 no (Mayor Pro Tem Holloway). The clerk recorded the result as five affirmative votes and one dissenting vote.
What the resolution does: according to staff, the amendment will (1) add a retail overlay to Center Boulevard so the waiver procedures apply there as they do downtown; (2) remove two conditions from the MUFP (identified in the staff packet) that had constrained waiver application; and (3) align plan documents with Snoqualmie Municipal Code 17.37.0.04, the code section governing waivers of special use regulations.
Context and next steps: Councilors said property owners and residents in the affected area were notified during the public review and did not register organized opposition in the record, according to Councilor Christiansen. Staff said the amendment only changes the MUFP map for Center Boulevard and does not expand the overlay to the entire Snoqualmie Ridge area.
The resolution passed; staff and council said future adjustments remain possible if conditions change.
