Planning staff outlines 2026 work plan; commissioners push for transit-station access and subarea plans

Planning staff presented the commission’s proposed 2026 work plan and asked commissioners to identify additional priorities to forward to the City Council.

Staff said key items for 2026 include completing water and sewer comprehensive plans (targeted for fall 2026), beginning two subarea-plan updates in the spring, and advancing four zoning-district updates described as “phase 2 zoning” with an anticipated summer timeline. Staff noted the work plan will be presented to council on Feb. 19 and invited commissioners to decide how they want to represent the commission to council.

Several commissioners urged that transportation master plan (TMP) work or a mid-cycle TMP update be prioritized to address station access and critical active-transportation linkages. Commissioners said inadequate pedestrian and bicycle connections currently limit practical access to Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood stations and recommended adding dedicated TMP or bicycle-plan updates, or treating station-area connectivity as a subarea priority.

Staff said the engineering and parks departments will coordinate on bike/ped and trail linkages and that funding exists in the budget to support subarea planning. Commissioners requested staff return with more information about TMP timing, and staff agreed to find out scheduling details and report back at the next meeting so the commission could decide whether to add a TMP item to the work program.

The commission also discussed short-term rental policy work and noted a local property (Studio 6) will be converted from overnight accommodation to monthly rentals; staff said short-term rental regulations, including Airbnb/Vrbo considerations, will be revisited this year.