Lake Stevens council ratifies 2025 comprehensive-plan docket, advancing minor map and text amendments

The Lake Stevens City Council on March 11 adopted Resolution 2025-002 to ratify the city's 2025 comprehensive-plan docket, clearing several city-initiated map and text amendments to move forward for additional analysis and possible adoption later this year.

Principal Planner David Levitan told the council the docket process is the annual step that allows the city to gather amendment proposals and decide which items merit more detailed review. "This is just for docket ratification to advance items for additional analysis this year," Levitan said during his presentation.

The docket includes two city-initiated map amendments: changing the land-use/zoning designation for Sewer Lift Station 1C at North Lakeshore and Mitchell Drive from waterfront residential to public/semi-public, and adjusting the southern parcels of Fire Station 81 from downtown local commerce to public/semi-public so the entire station site is consistently designated. The docket also includes three text amendments: T1 to update adopted subarea plans (Downtown Lake Stevens, Lake Stevens Center, and the 20th Street SE Corridor) for consistency with the comprehensive plan; T2 for routine planning updates including capital facilities and administrative items; and T3 to update the parks element to reflect the upcoming Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan so the city stays eligible for certain state grants.

Levitan said the Planning Commission held a public hearing March 5, had a brief discussion and unanimously recommended that the council ratify the docket. He also said the docket was categorically exempt from the State Environmental Policy Act. No written comments were received in advance of either public hearing, and no members of the public spoke during tonight's council hearing on the docket.

Council members moved and seconded adoption of Resolution 2025-002; the council voted in favor and the motion passed. Ratification does not adopt any of the proposed amendments; it only advances them for further analysis. Levitan said docketed items will return to the council later in the year for potential adoption by ordinance after the city completes required analyses and public review.

Why this matters: the map amendments correct public/semi-public designations on publicly owned parcels and the parks-element update is tied to grant eligibility and compliance with state planning requirements. The next steps are detailed analysis of the docketed items and later ordinances to effect any map or text changes.