Lynnwood council approves step-housing ordinance, adopts comprehensive plan update amid community concerns

The Lynnwood City Council passed two housing-related measures on Jan. 27: Ordinance 3476, an update concerning step housing, and Ordinance 3477, adopting the 2024 comprehensive plan update titled Imagine Lynnwood. Both ordinances passed by 5-1, with Council Member Patrick Decker the lone vote against each.

Why this matters: The measures respond to state-driven planning mandates and will affect zoning, housing density and long-term development patterns in Lynnwood. Residents at the meeting urged the council to clarify local impacts including school overcrowding, neighborhood character and public safety.

Public concerns and comments: Carrie Wilson asked a series of questions about “step housing” (shelter, transitional and permanent housing), asking how the proposals would affect single-family property values, school overcrowding, public-safety response, utility capacity and enforcement of rules for residents of temporary housing. She asked where proposed locations would be and how recipients would be supported to regain housing stability.

Zach McCown, representing the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters, urged the council to address alleged worker exploitation and wage theft in local construction projects and criticized a news report and a $640,000 tax break for a development project. He asked the council to ensure Lynnwood jobs go to Lynnwood workers and to respond to wage-theft issues.

Council discussion: Several council members acknowledged residents’ concerns but framed the ordinances as responses to requirements from the state. Council Member Patrick Decker said he would vote no on the step-housing ordinance, arguing the state had removed local control and that voting no was a way to express the council’s objection to state mandates: “I am going to vote no. The state is requiring us to pass this ordinance.”

Council Member Decker and others said the city will still try to mitigate local impacts where legally possible. Council Member Escamilla said the city has a lobbyist and will continue to press legislators in Olympia for changes, and she described efforts to produce maps and materials to inform residents where changes may occur. Council Member George Hurst urged the council to explore project labor agreements and community workforce agreements to address wage theft and to require local hiring on city projects.

Votes and next steps: Ordinance 3476 (step housing) passed 5-1; Ordinance 3477 (Imagine Lynnwood comprehensive plan update) passed 5-1. Council members said the next technical step will be work on the development code (unified building code) and public outreach, including maps to show where changes could apply. Council members also cited ongoing state-level bills affecting local planning, and said they would continue advocacy in Olympia.

Speakers

- Christine Frizzell — Mayor (government) - Patrick Decker — Council member (government) - Escamilla — Council member (government) - George Hurst — Council member (government) - Zachary McCown — Representative, Western States Regional Council of Carpenters (business/union) - Carrie Wilson — Resident (citizen)

Authorities

- {"type":"ordinance","name":"Ordinance 3476","citation":"Ordinance 3476 (step housing)","referenced_by":["housing-comp-plan-step-housing-2025-01-27"]} - {"type":"ordinance","name":"Ordinance 3477","citation":"Ordinance 3477 (2024 comprehensive plan — Imagine Lynnwood)","referenced_by":["housing-comp-plan-step-housing-2025-01-27"]} - {"type":"statute","name":"RCW (state planning mandates referenced)","citation":"state planning mandates (as discussed)","referenced_by":["housing-comp-plan-step-housing-2025-01-27"]}

Actions

- {"kind":"ordinance_adoption","identifiers":{"ordinance_number":"3476"},"motion":"Approve ordinance number 3476 concerning step housing, providing for severability, establish effective date, and provide summary publication.","mover":"Council member Benda (as recorded)","second":"unspecified","vote_record":[{"member":"Escamilla","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Decker","vote":"no"},{"member":"Coelho","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Hurst","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Partial","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Bridal","vote":"yes"}],"tally":{"yes":5,"no":1,"abstain":0},"outcome":"approved","legal_threshold":{"met":true,"notes":"Majority vote recorded; ordinance passed 5–1."},"notes":"Council recorded objections about state mandates; Decker voted no to signal opposition."}

- {"kind":"ordinance_adoption","identifiers":{"ordinance_number":"3477"},"motion":"Approve ordinance number 3477, approving the 2024 comprehensive plan update (Imagine Lynnwood), providing for severability, establishing effective date and providing for summary publication.","mover":"Council member Hurst (as recorded)","second":"unspecified","vote_record":[{"member":"Bridal","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Partial","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Coelho","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Escamilla","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Hurst","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Decker","vote":"no"}],"tally":{"yes":5,"no":1,"abstain":0},"outcome":"approved","legal_threshold":{"met":true,"notes":"Majority vote recorded; ordinance passed 5–1."},"notes":"Council will proceed next to development-code updates."}

Discussion_decision

- Discussion points: Public concern about step housing impacts on neighborhoods, schools, utilities and public safety; union concerns about wage theft and contractor practices. - Directions: Staff to continue outreach, prepare more detailed maps, and pursue code-level changes where legally permitted; council to continue advocacy with state legislators. - Decisions: Passage of Ordinance 3476 and Ordinance 3477, each by 5–1.

Clarifying details

- Ordinance 3476 (step housing) passed 5–1; Decker voted no. - Ordinance 3477 (Imagine Lynnwood comprehensive plan update) passed 5–1; Decker voted no. - Public comments requested specifics on number and locations of step-housing sites; the council asked staff to return with maps and implementation details. - Union representative Zach McCown said the carpenters union represents several hundred members in Lynnwood and urged action on wage theft and local-hire policies.

Proper names

- {"name":"Lynnwood","type":"location"} - {"name":"Western States Regional Council of Carpenters","type":"organization"} - {"name":"Imagine Lynnwood","type":"program"}

Community relevance

- geographies:["Lynnwood"],"funding_sources":["not specified"],"impact_groups":["single-family homeowners","residents near planned housing changes","construction workers"]}

Meeting context

- engagement_level:{"speakers_count":8,"duration_minutes":60,"items_count":3},"implementation_risk":"medium","history":[{"date":"2024-05-20","note":"Comprehensive plan materials previously discussed; public commenters referenced past work session."}]}

searchable_tags:["step housing","comprehensive plan","Imagine Lynnwood","zoning","wage theft","local_hire"],

provenance:{"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"1444.11","local_start":0,"local_end":920,"evidence_excerpt":"Okay. I'll try and do this as fast as possible. There may be questions. The step housing, the shelter transition emergency, and permanent housing that has been introduced to the Lynwood. I've got some questions. The impact of the step housing on the residential networks, will it reduce the value of the current home values, especially single family residents? Secondary, what rules, what stipulations would be placed on recipients of the step housing? And how will this affect the overcrowding in the schools?","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"4931.95","local_start":0,"local_end":514,"evidence_excerpt":"Ordinance 3476. I'd like to move to approve ordinance number 3476, an ordinance concerning step housing, providing for severability, establish an effective date and provide summary publication.","reason_code":"topicfinish"}]}

sections:{"lede":"The Lynnwood City Council on Jan. 27 approved two major housing measures: Ordinance 3476 (step housing) and Ordinance 3477 (Imagine Lynnwood comprehensive plan update); each passed 5–1.","nut_graf":"Residents raised questions about neighborhood character, school overcrowding, utility and public-safety impacts and about contractor wage theft. Council members said state mandates constrained local authority but pledged mapping, outreach and code-level work to mitigate local effects.","ending":"Council members said they will pursue further technical work on the development code and continue advocacy with state legislators; staff will return with maps and implementation details."} ,