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Council adopts stricter downtown retail requirement, removes waiver option
Summary
The Snoqualmie City Council approved Ordinance 13-06 to raise downtown retail-use requirements to 90% and remove waivers after debate over flexibility and who should grant exceptions; the measure passed 5-2.
The Snoqualmie City Council on May 27 adopted Ordinance 13-06, amending chapters 17.20 and 17.37 of the Snoqualmie Municipal Code to increase required retail use in the downtown historic district to 90% and to remove the code waiver process.
Council members and staff said the change is intended to preserve a walkable, retail-focused downtown. Councilor Washington introduced the ordinance and asked the council to adopt the amendments to the retail-use overlay. "This agenda item is associated with proposed amendments to the city's downtown historic district retail overlay zone..." Washington said.
Supporters told the council the higher percentage is aimed at sustaining a retail core. Community development staff described the change as the product of lengthy review. The community development director discussed prior drafts and legal advice, saying in part, "when I first sent a draft ordinance in, October of 20[22] to Bob Sturbank... recommending that we have a change to the code... we have had multiple city attorneys, in the intervening time, essentially, tell the council these are the kinds of decisions that council really shouldn't be involved in..." The director said legal advice led to removing discretionary waivers because a different decision-maker might not preserve the downtown "vibe."
Opponents said the code change is too rigid and could produce long-term problems if the economy or retail demand shifts. Councilor Johnson said he was "still troubled that, this 1 raises the percentage... this is an exit immediately with no chance of a waiver... Given pandemics and other things that may occur, there may be cause for a waiver request. And to say, no. I have a hard time with that." Mayor Pro Tem Tim Holloway argued against locking a 90% requirement into code, saying, "We don't make 90 day codes. These codes live beyond us... I'm really reluctant to put in the code % or 90% and no waiver because... I do not want to get to the condition where I have vacant stores." Councilor Wotton noted the prior waiver had been at the community development director's discretion and suggested a time-limited review or council role could be considered in the future.
Councilor Cotton asked whether merchants had input; staff replied the proposal had gone through public hearings and commissions and that downtown merchants had participated. Staff also said the downtown corner and Center Boulevard coverage would be aligned under the updated overlay.
The council voted to adopt Ordinance 13-06. The measure passed 5-2. Councilor Vincent and Mayor Pro Tem Tim Holloway recorded the no votes.
Council members who spoke on the item included Councilor Washington, Councilor Johnson, Councilor Wotton, Councilor Cotton and Mayor Pro Tem Tim Holloway; Community Development Director (name listed in the meeting) provided staff responses. The ordinance amends SMC chapters 17.20 and 17.37 and was considered on its second reading.
The change takes effect per the ordinance schedule in Snoqualmie municipal procedure; council members discussed returning to the code for adjustments if the requirement proves impractical.
