Council reviews Phase 2 code amendments: neighborhood‑scale commercial, parking minimums and bicycle parking proposals

City planners presented draft Phase 2 code amendments aimed at implementing the 2024 Imagine Bothell comprehensive plan, including provisions to allow neighborhood‑scale commercial uses in residential areas, proposals to remove off‑street parking minimums, and new bicycle‑parking standards. Council provided feedback and requested follow‑up analysis on a few specifics.

Jacqueline Sampson, a city planner, told council the Phase 2 work aligns the municipal code with the comprehensive plan and responds to state and regional guidance. “The purpose of the Phase 2 code updates is to align the Bothell Municipal Code with the city's values and vision around future development as highlighted in the 2024 Imagine Bothell comprehensive plan,” Sampson said.

What staff proposed

- Neighborhood‑scale commercial: Staff proposed permitting small, neighborhood‑scaled retail in targeted zones and recommended a proportional approach: commercial area limited to 30% of the site’s net billable area with a floor of 1,800 square feet (or 30% of the lot, whichever is greater) and a maximum cap of 2,500 square feet. Staff said the caps are intended to keep neighborhood commercial true to local scale while allowing flexibility for small lots.

- Off‑street parking minimums: Staff presented revisions responding to Senate Bill 5184 (signed May 7, 2025) and the council’s interest in exploring elimination of off‑street parking minimums citywide. Under staff’s draft, vehicle parking minimums would be removed; bicycle parking and rideshare requirements would be calculated independently. Staff used Bellingham’s bicycle‑parking model as a reference for long‑ and short‑term bicycle parking design.

- Rideshare and pick‑up/drop‑off: For sites that do provide off‑street parking, staff proposed retaining a requirement of one rideshare/bridal‑share space for every 20 proposed vehicle parking spaces (presented as a carryover of current policy for sites that still propose off‑street parking).

- Building and hard‑surface coverage: Staff recommended eliminating maximum building coverage and relying on maximum hard‑surface coverage and stormwater rules already in place; no substantive change to current hard‑surface limits was proposed.

- Administrative and variance clarifications: The draft includes clarifications to variance criteria, private dock processes, and the definition of net billable area.

Council feedback and questions

Councilmembers raised practical concerns: whether the 1,800‑square‑foot minimum might exclude very small, viable micro‑retail uses; whether incentives or technical assistance should be available to retrofit bike parking at existing businesses; and whether e‑bike charging access (110‑volt outlets) should be encouraged or required for long‑term bicycle parking. Several council members suggested staff consider exemptions or scaled requirements for very small storefronts so entrepreneurs are not overburdened by infrastructure costs.

Council also asked about implementation, enforcement and downtown coordination. The city manager said staff are developing a cross‑departmental approach to parking enforcement and management, have inventoried downtown parking (roughly 360–380 spots), and are exploring vendor and technology options. Staff said a public hearing on the Phase 2 draft is scheduled for June 17; if no substantive comments are received that night, staff plan to return with an ordinance for council consideration in July.

Public comment: a Bothell resident who had earlier addressed the council during public comment, Mark Swanson, was cited by council members as an example of neighborhood opposition to retail in residential zones; council asked staff to weigh that neighborhood sentiment in outreach and engagement.

Ending: Staff will refine draft language in response to council feedback (in particular minimum commercial size and bicycle‑parking details), incorporate interdepartmental input on enforcement and incentives, and present the public hearing record on June 17; no action was taken at the June 3 study session.