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Mount Vernon council renews interim ADU rules, approves quarry road relocation and several interlocal agreements
Summary
On March 12 the Mount Vernon City Council renewed interim accessory dwelling unit regulations to align with state law and approved multiple ordinances, interlocal agreements and advisory‑committee charters. Council also approved a boundary line adjustment at the fairgrounds and a quarry road relocation plan.
Mount Vernon City Council on March 12 approved a package of land‑use, administrative and interlocal actions, including renewal of interim regulations for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), adoption of local code updates tied to state permitting timelines, and a series of interlocal agreements and appointments intended to streamline city operations.
The council voted to renew the interim ADU regulations that implement changes required by state legislation. Development Services Director Stacy brassner told council the interim rules implement House Bill 137 (referenced by staff as part of the state housing package) and will be incorporated into the city’s periodic comprehensive‑plan update. The council approved the ordinance to renew the interim ADU regulations by voice vote.
The council also adopted municipal code updates to align local permit procedures with recent state reforms and extended a temporary parking ordinance connected to library construction laydown needs until April 1. City attorney Kevin Rogerson said the short extension is required by the construction agreement with Skagit County.
Other approvals included: - An agreement with the City of Anacortes to permit occasional mutual assistance for public works operations. Public Works Director Chris Phillips described the agreement as limited, infrequent and intended to add operational flexibility without obligating new budget commitments. - A boundary line adjustment with Skagit County at the fairgrounds to place an existing restroom and adjacent fence on the correct parcel; Parks and Enrichment Director Jennifer Burner said the swap will resolve the county restroom encroachment and align the fence to city property. - A road relocation plan at the Martin Marietta quarry to move the quarry access road to the outside of the active mining area; Parks staff said the relocation supports future maintenance access and post‑mining land uses. Parks Director Jennifer Burner noted the road relocation is a standalone decision and does not determine whether the existing quarry lease will be extended in 2028. - Approval of a step to reclassify a newly budgeted GIS specialist position to “GIS and asset management specialist,” funded from surface water and wastewater enterprise funds and described by staff as having no impact on the general fund. - Approval of an appointment to the Skagit County Emergency Management Advisory Board (to enable Chief Brian Bryce’s planned retirement and a successor representative), and approval of an interlocal public‑defense agreement among Mount Vernon, Burlington, Anacortes and Sedro‑Woolley establishing a common contracting approach for public defense services.
Council approved formation charters and a work plan for two citizen advisory committees to support the comprehensive‑plan periodic update — one to advise on housing, land use and transportation and another to advise on climate resiliency goals and policies. Development Services staff said each committee will be roughly 10–12 members drawn from a stakeholder list identified in the city’s public participation plan; council directed staff to bring candidate names for appointment at a future meeting.
Votes at a glance: ordinance 3909 (renew ADU interim regulations) — adopted (motion and voice vote; mover/second recorded in the minutes); ordinance 3910 (parking zones temporary extension) — adopted; ordinance 3911 (permit procedures to implement state timelines) — adopted; reclassification of GIS position — adopted; Martin Marietta quarry road relocation — adopted; boundary line adjustment with Skagit County — adopted; interlocal agreements with Anacortes and four‑city public defense agreement — adopted; emergency management advisory board appointment — approved. Where the roll call was a voice vote, the official minutes record the motion as passed; recorded tallies were not provided in the public transcript.
Why it matters: renewing the interim ADU regulations aligns Mount Vernon with recent state housing laws and affects how homeowners and developers may add accessory units as the city updates its comprehensive plan. The suite of interlocal agreements and administrative changes is intended to increase operational flexibility for public works, emergency management and public defense, and the quarry road relocation and fairgrounds boundary adjustment affect future public‑land and parks planning.
Council and staff next steps include bringing candidate names for the advisory committees back to the council for appointment and continuing the comprehensive‑plan periodic update process. Several items adopted tonight were described by staff as steps that will be folded into larger code and plan updates to come.
