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Planning commission prioritizes critical-area ordinance update, PSRC certification among 2026 work-plan items
Summary
Commissioners agreed to make a mandatory critical-areas ordinance update a top 2026 priority (pending budget), discussed addressing four PSRC transportation comments to secure regional certification and grant eligibility, and reviewed other code work (shoreline, subdivision, wireless, parking and shared-housing outreach).
At its Dec. 13 meeting, the Lake Forest Park Planning Commission set priorities for 2026 work planning and advised staff on sequencing technical and mandatory updates.
Staff summarized four comp-plan-related items that could be carried as a single amendment: voluntary recommendations received from the King County Housing Authority, four PSRC transportation-related comments the city must address for full PSRC certification, a potential implementation chapter to give the recently adopted climate action items clearer short-, medium- and long-term steps, and mandatory updates to the critical-area ordinance and the shoreline master plan.
Mark, who leads planning staff, told commissioners that addressing the PSRC transportation punch list and some comp-plan amendments would require consultant technical work and gave a sample estimate for technical assistance in the range of $50,000. He said the city can stagger the work: "If we do CAO this year, shoreline by 2027, I think that's what my recommendation would be," he said, recommending the critical-area ordinance first because it applies citywide.
Commissioners expressed two linked concerns: (1) mandatory updates (critical areas, shoreline) carry grant and legal consequences if not completed, and (2) staff bandwidth is constrained so prioritization and possible consultant hire will be necessary. The commission tentatively agreed to present a working draft work plan to the new city council in January and to seek council direction at the council retreat in March.
Other development-code items discussed included expected short-plat/subdivision statutory changes, modernizing the wireless-facilities ordinance to align with FCC guidance, and a possible review of parking rules if council requests it. Commissioners also heard a presentation on a shared-housing model (citations to a Bellingham pilot and a private firm, Nesterly) and debated whether the city role should be primarily code review or program support (e.g., funding a matching/placement provider).
The commission reached consensus — pending budget confirmation — to prioritize the mandatory critical-area ordinance update as a leading work-plan item for 2026; staff will return in January with budget parameters, PSRC comments as pre-read materials, and proposed outreach questions for developers and affordable-housing stakeholders.
