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Bothell council adopts interim ordinance to align local review timelines with Senate Bill 5290
Summary
The City Council voted 7-0 to adopt an interim ordinance updating local project review timelines and several code cross-references to conform with Senate Bill 5290; staff will return with a public hearing and a final ordinance within six months.
Bothell City Council on Tuesday adopted an interim ordinance that updates local project-review timelines to match changes enacted by the state’s Senate Bill 5290. The motion passed unanimously, 7-0.
The interim ordinance amends several references in the Bothell Municipal Code to reflect updated review deadlines established by state law. Christian Getz, Deputy Director of Community Development, told the council the changes are largely technical: they replace specific time windows in the city code with the timelines set in the Revised Code of Washington and adjust four discrete code sections to match the RCW.
Why it matters: the state law sets target review periods for different permit types and requires jurisdictions to track and meet timelines. Council members said the amendments are intended to give applicants clearer expectations for how long permits and local reviews may take.
Getz explained that the law groups permits by complexity: “type 1” permits (sign permits, many single‑family and accessory dwelling unit permits) have a shorter target review window, while public‑hearing matters have the longest in‑house review targets. He told council the ordinance is an interim step; staff will return within 60 days with a public hearing and seek a final ordinance within six months.
Councilmembers asked about how the timelines apply to accessory dwelling units and to minor versus major ADU work. Getz said the city triages by complexity in practice: an interior conversion generally requires less review time than a new detached unit, even though both fall within the same permit category for the state timeline.
The formal action: Councilmember McCurdy moved adoption of the interim ordinance (Agenda Bill 25009); Councilmember Alderks seconded. The city clerk called the roll and recorded seven yes votes; no no votes were recorded.
Next steps: staff will publish the interim ordinance, hold the public hearing within the statutory time frame, and present a final ordinance for adoption within approximately six months.
