Everett planning staff present draft development regulations, propose new zone framework and use rules

Planning staff presented a complete draft of Everett’s comprehensive plan and companion development regulations and asked the planning commission for feedback on specific zoning and use changes that will be part of the Everett 2044 update.

York Stevens Wojta, planning director, told commissioners the city had published the “04/07/2025 complete review draft” and opened a public comment period through May 12, and that the draft would go through further public hearings, including a city council session “tomorrow” and a planning commission hearing on May 6. “We have published a complete draft of the comprehensive plan and development regulations and made that available to the public for review and comment. We are in a comment period on this draft through May 12,” Stevens Wojta said.

Why it matters: The draft restructures residential and mixed‑use zoning across Everett and will guide where housing, commercial activity and light industry may locate for years to come. Commissioners pressed staff for specific limits and clarity on how the new zones will interact with lenders, childcare regulations, and industrial uses.

Key proposals and discussion

- New zone framework: Staff proposed replacing the four single‑family zones (RS/R1/R2/R2A) with a neighborhood residential (NR) zone and a neighborhood residential constrained zone intended to preserve existing development patterns in limited‑access areas. Urban residential zones would be named UR plus a number that denotes height (for example, “UR4”…