Community Development outlines urgent middle-housing, critical-areas and planning deadlines

Community Development Director Mark Hoffman presented a multi-topic workplan Tuesday to prepare the council for an upcoming one-day retreat and to outline several near-term regulatory deadlines.

Hoffman told council members the planning commission is working toward a March 11 meeting when he hopes commissioners will reach consensus on middle housing development regulations and draft code language. He said the model ordinance for tier-3 cities takes effect July 1, and the city needs to decide which minimum mandates it will adopt before that date.

“Soon will be, that March 11, we have a consensus,” Hoffman said about planning commission timing and added the city will seek expedited review from the Washington State Department of Commerce if it has a draft to submit.

Hoffman described several related items on the workplan: submitting the comprehensive plan to the Puget Sound Regional Council for transportation-section review and grant eligibility; drafting a climate element and associated grant deliverables due in June; revising the sign ordinance (SEPA comment period closed with one comment); and beginning a critical areas ordinance (CAO) update that Hoffman recommended be completed in the fall, noting Commerce expects progress and that small cities can demonstrate “diligent pursuit.”

On mapping, Hoffman said improved GIS data from other agencies — including King County landslide data — is available and could be incorporated into updated critical-area maps without waiting for a full ordinance rewrite. He also said the Shoreline Master Program (SMP) update, which last saw draft work in 2019, is a larger project that staff has money for in professional services but limited bandwidth to run through public review.

Hoffman flagged several other regulatory areas: unit-lot subdivision and condominium clarifications, modernization of the city’s wireless code to reflect Federal Communications Commission developments, tree regulation updates (led by the city’s urban-forest planner and the Tree Board), and a parks, recreation and open-space plan inventory update led by the parks advisory board.

Council members asked for a shareable list of the planning commission’s “parking lot” items to help council set policy priorities. Hoffman said planning commission members support focusing on minimum mandates first and “parking” other items for additional study so the city can meet state timelines without rushing broader code changes.

Hoffman also advised council that some ordinance amendments, if materially changed after initial submission, may require additional Department of Commerce review and that grant deliverables and consultant contracts (including SCJ Hansen and Facet, both mentioned) shape staff bandwidth for the spring and summer schedule.

No formal action was taken; the presentation was described as preparatory work ahead of the council retreat.