Council adopts interim rules for neighborhood centers, hubs to create multifamily capacity; several amendments debated

The Edmonds City Council on Jan. 7 voted to advance an interim ordinance designed to implement the recently adopted comprehensive plan27s neighborhood centers and hubs, moving the measure onto next week27s consent agenda for final approval by a 6-1 vote.

The interim ordinance creates zoning rules intended to produce housing capacity in specified centers and hubs, allow mixed-use development and set specific development standards including maximum heights, incentive floors, minimum ground-floor commercial and parking rules. Shane Hope, planning and development director, told the council the interim code is not the final answer but "provides for multifamily housing to help meet that capacity that we've committed to" and must be followed by public hearings and further outreach.

The ordinance implements the comprehensive plan27s four neighborhood centers (including Westgate and Five Corners) and five neighborhood hubs (including North Bowl and Maplewood) by establishing three subdistricts called Mixed Use 3, 4 and 5 with different baseline height limits and optional incentive floors. The interim text ties some incentive floors to "green building" performance and, in some cases, a requirement that at least half of the ground-floor area be commercial. Hope summarized the height rules as: Mixed Use 3 base 30 feet; Mixed Use 4 base 30 feet with potential limited additional…