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Bothell planning commission backs 2025 comprehensive-plan amendments to allow more residential units
Summary
The Planning Commission voted unanimously Nov. 5 to forward city-initiated 2025 comprehensive-plan annual amendments to the City Council. The amendments adjust maximum residential-unit allowances in two land-use designations and do not change the future land use map.
The Bothell Planning Commission on Nov. 5 unanimously approved findings, conclusions and a recommendation that the City Council adopt the city-initiated 2025 comprehensive plan annual amendments, staff said.
The amendments would increase the maximum allowed residential units in the Residential Low designation from four to six units per lot and formally recognize that four middle-housing units per lot are allowed in the Residential Conservation designation, consistent with the state bill referenced in the staff presentation. Staff said the proposed changes are limited edits and do not alter land-use designations on the city’s future land use map.
Planner Deborah Powers told the commission the amendments were drafted to remain consistent with the Bothell Municipal Code and applicable state requirements, and that standard noticing (Department of Commerce, SEPA and Imagine Bothell) has been completed. The commission confirmed it received one written comment in support from Jerome Burns of Bridge Housing; there were no live public commenters on this item.
Commissioners asked staff about public outreach before the City Council hearing. Staff confirmed the city uses statutory noticing and its Imagine Bothell channels and that commissioners may share information through their own outreach while following open-records guidance. The commission also discussed the housing-unit completion table in the staff packet and noted continued gaps in production at lower AMI levels.
Commissioner Levegh moved to adopt the findings, conclusions and recommendations as presented; Commissioner Westerbeck seconded. The motion passed unanimously (Commissioners Jones, Westerbeck, Leverett, Robson, Gustafson and Chair Kiernan voted aye; Commissioner Sills was absent and excused). Staff said the recommendation will go to City Council for a public hearing on Dec. 2 and potential adoption by ordinance on Dec. 9.
The Planning Commission record for this item will be forwarded to the City Council for its review at the December hearings.
