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Mercer Island council directs ordinance to move design-review decisions to hearing examiner under new state rules
Summary
Mercer Island — The City Council on June 3 voted to direct the city manager to prepare an ordinance that would transfer formal design‑review authority from the volunteer Design Commission to the municipal hearing examiner.
Mercer Island — The City Council on June 3 voted to direct the city manager to prepare an ordinance that would transfer formal design‑review authority from the volunteer Design Commission to the municipal hearing examiner, saying the state’s new requirements make the commission’s discretionary role less applicable.
The action came after staff outlined changes the Legislature enacted in 2023 under House Bill 1293, which requires that local design standards be "clear and objective" and limits public-review steps to a single public meeting. CPD Director Jeff Thomas told the council those changes, and related edits in draft ordinance 25C‑11, remove a pre‑application study session and convert many existing…
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