Lake Stevens council, planning commission align on 2025 work program and seek clearer liaison communication

Lake Stevens City Council and the Planning Commission met in a joint workshop on Jan. 21, 2025, at the municipal mill to review and ratify priorities for the 2025 long-range planning work program and to discuss stronger communication between the council and the commission.

Community Development Director Russ Wright told the joint body the proposed 2025 work program focuses on a code process update tied to an interim ordinance, a streets-and-sidewalks update coordinated with Public Works, housing implementation and incentives, adoption of critical aquifer protections as part of a mandated critical areas update, and continued work on the Lake Stevens Industrial Center and the annual comprehensive plan docket. "This moves forward with the interim ordinance that we enacted earlier this year," Wright said, and noted some items — particularly parking — may await state action before the city amends local rules.

The Planning Commission presented feedback gathered in a staff survey and at its January meeting. David Levitan, senior planner, summarized the survey results and commission discussion: "housing implementation, as expected, was a top priority for several of the commissioners, I think 4 out of the 7." Levitan said commissioners also raised questions about public engagement and about distinguishing statutory requirements from discretionary tasks when building annual work programs.

Why it matters: the workshop set the city’s planning agenda for the year. Decisions and timelines discussed affect zoning, infrastructure studies, and future permitting for housing, industrial development, and critical environmental areas.

Discussion highlights: council and commission members debated how to improve the flow of information between the bodies. Commissioner Huxford, chair of the Planning Commission, and Commissioner Jennifer Davis urged clearer feedback loops when the council’s decisions differ from planning recommendations, citing a recent property sale decision that surprised commissioners and members of the public. Council members proposed practical steps including rotating planning commissioners at council meetings, quarterly liaison reports, and putting policy drivers (for example, state bills) in communications to clarify when changes are mandated by state law rather than local preference. Council member Peter Schagen said rotating attendance by commissioners at council meetings has been useful; other council members volunteered to increase liaison reporting and to consider including a planning commissioner at the city’s council retreat in spring 2025.

Top project areas staff flagged for 2025: the process/code update (to reflect state permitting timelines), a coordinated streets-and-sidewalks update with engineering standards, a parking review (pending pending state legislation), housing and mixed-use/infill work tied to implementation of the city’s housing element and growth targets, Lake Stevens Industrial Center implementation (infrastructure and zoning/design regulations), and a required update to the city’s critical areas regulations including new critical aquifer protections.

Planning commissioners emphasized public engagement and transparency. Commissioners recommended clearer plain-language materials about mandated items (for example, growth targets under the Growth Management Act) and easier ways for residents to understand what changes mean for property owners. Multiple commissioners said many residents do not follow planning work closely and therefore may react strongly when they receive rezoning notices; commissioners suggested concise explanatory materials, targeted outreach at community institutions, or brief primers posted online.

Council members stressed they will rely on staff to identify statutory deadlines and on commissioners to advise where public input points to different priorities. Several members noted that state legislative actions will shape the city’s options this year and asked staff to annotate any council communications with the relevant state bill or statutory reference when possible.

Votes and formal actions: late in the meeting a motion to extend the workshop by two hours was proposed and denied (no mover or seconder recorded in the transcript). No formal votes on code amendments, ordinances, or the work program were taken at the session; staff presented the draft work program for council guidance and future ratification.

What’s next: staff will continue to refine the 2025 work program, coordinate scheduling around statutory deadlines, and return with proposed code amendments and a schedule. Council and commission members agreed to test more frequent, structured liaison reporting and to consider commissioner participation in the council retreat to improve alignment.

Ending note: both bodies described the evening as a constructive step toward clearer communication and a more transparent, prioritized work plan for 2025.