Everett council weighs broad rezoning in 2044 comprehensive plan; votes to protect parts of Madrona Avenue and parkland near Phil Johnson Field

Everett City Council members on June 4 heard a detailed briefing from the planning director and hours of public comment on the proposed Everett 2044 Comprehensive Plan and related updates to development regulations, then voted to rezone a stretch of Madrona Avenue as “neighborhood residential constrained” and to designate four transfer lots near Phil Johnson Field as parks/open space.

The planning director, York Stevens Wojcick, told the council the package pairs a new comprehensive plan and a set of code changes so that both will take effect together once adopted. Wojcick said, “All of the materials are available at Everettwa.gov/2040four,” and described the packet’s highlighted changes, the final environmental impact statement and the zoning swipe map now posted online. A public hearing on the plan is scheduled for June 11, with a third and final council reading set for June 18.

Why it matters: the plan and regulation changes establish where denser housing, small-scale neighborhood commerce and multifamily buildings can be built in Everett and update parking, height and design rules. Councilors and residents said the changes could help address housing shortages and shelter needs but also raised concerns about preserving historic neighborhoods, local traffic and impacts on immediate neighbors.

Planning staff summarized several substantive…