Bothell planning commission reviews draft vision, scope for Downtown Subarea Plan update

City of Bothell planning staff on Feb. 5 presented an initial study session on updating the Downtown Subarea Plan, asking the Planning Commission for feedback on the plan’s preliminary vision, goals, and an extensive list of potential scope items ahead of public outreach. No formal action was required.

Senior long‑range planner Eric Jasewski summarized why the plan is being updated and what staff expects the update to address. The downtown plan adopted in 2009 has guided large public investments and redevelopment—about $200 million in public improvements since 2009—and staff estimate roughly 3,000 new downtown residents and nearly 150 new businesses in the downtown subarea since the original plan. Jasewski said the Imagine Bothell comprehensive plan adopted in December requires downtown to accommodate an additional 1,890 housing units and about 730,000 square feet of commercial space, and staff want the subarea plan aligned with those targets and with anticipated high‑capacity transit investments.

Jasewski asked commissioners to comment on a draft vision and a long list of possible scope topics, saying staff view the materials as a starting point for community‑driven work and that the formal community engagement strategy will be presented to the commission at its Feb. 19 meeting. Planner Megan Rigney told the commission the downtown plan update will be phased: background and outreach in 2025,…