Edmonds planning board reviews interim centers-and-hubs code; staff to refine setbacks, bonuses and outreach

City planning staff reviewed an interim ordinance that implements the neighborhood centers and hubs designation in Edmonds’ recently updated comprehensive plan and described a public outreach schedule leading to a Planning Board recommendation in May and City Council review in June.

Shane Hope, senior planning staff, told the board the interim ordinance was adopted by the City Council on Jan. 14 on consent to meet state planning deadlines and to provide a temporary framework while staff and the board craft a permanent code. "An interim ordinance is temporary — it allows the city to move forward quickly while more time is spent on details that might be wanted for a longer term ordinance," Hope said.

Navisha (staff) walked the board through key provisions in the interim code: height and floor‑bonus categories for three mixed‑use zones (labeled Mixed Use 3, 4 and 5), setback and orientation standards, glazing and facade design requirements, parking ratios tied to unit size, and minimum open‑space/community benefit standards to qualify for bonus height. Examples cited in the draft include a standard three‑story maximum in many hubs (Mixed Use 3), a four‑story standard in parts of the Medical District (Mixed Use 4) with limited bonus floors when community benefits are provided, and a five‑story allowance in some Mixed Use 5 areas when bonuses are earned.

Board members raised specific concerns and asked staff to clarify language. One member said bonus‑floor language in the draft was ambiguous about where bonuses were permissible; another asked for clearer transition standards where centers abut single‑family properties. "It doesn't necessarily spell out in that section of the code that it is, when applicable, an incentive or bonus floor height up to 10 feet above standard," a board member said during discussion. Board members also requested clearer side‑setback and height transition standards and asked staff to show how parcel widths and existing lot patterns would work with the proposed setbacks and incentives.

Staff described planned outreach steps that include an informational website, walking tours of the nine centers and hubs, a web open house with draft materials, and an opportunity for the public to submit mapped comments using a simple form. The timeline presented calls for continued public engagement in February and March, a Planning Board recommendation targeted for May and City Council review in June (dates tentative).

No formal board vote on the code was taken; board members agreed to continue review and asked staff to return with clarified language on bonus eligibility, transition setbacks adjacent to single‑family homes and examples that illustrate buildable footprints under the draft standards.

Staff also noted the interim ordinance requires a council public hearing within 60 days of adoption; staff reported a council hearing was proposed for Feb. 4 to fulfill that requirement.