Lake Stevens council and planning commission discuss Growth Management Act, state housing bills and local comp-plan work program

Lake Stevens — City planning staff and the Planning Commission held a joint session with the City Council to review how state and regional rules shape local planning, to discuss recent legislation and to preview the department’s 2026 work program.

Staff presented a crash course on the state planning framework, citing the Growth Management Act (RCW 36.70A), the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and the Shoreline Management Act as the layered authorities that inform local comprehensive plans and development regulations. Staff reiterated that the comprehensive plan — adopted in an updated form in November 2024 — is the city’s primary 20-year policy document and is implemented by development regulations and sub-area plans.

The presentation reviewed Snohomish County–allocated growth targets for 2020–2044 (cited in the meeting as roughly 9,614 new residents, nearly 5,000 housing units and about 3,200 jobs). Staff said those allocations drove recent comprehensive-plan work and remain the basis for sub-area planning and infrastructure alignment.

A central focus of the exchange was state legislation referenced in the meeting (described by staff as “House Bill 2266” and companion “Senate Bill 6069,” and a separate Senate bill referenced as 6026). Staff and commissioners warned that provisions in the bills — which, as described in the meeting, would require allowing residential or mixed uses in commercial zones and permit stand-alone residential projects in formerly commercial districts — could conflict with local employment-growth targets and the city’s sub-area plans. Planning staff explained that while local development regulations (height, setbacks, design standards) would remain under local control, permitting purely residential projects in commercial zones would reduce the city’s ability to reserve commercial sites needed to meet employment targets.

Commissioners and councilmembers also discussed the practical limits of expanding the Urban Growth Area (UGA). Staff summarized past UGA proposals submitted to Snohomish County that were not approved and said UGA expansions remain controlled at the county level and are difficult to secure.

The Planning Commission expressed frustration that some of its step-housing recommendations were later amended substantially by a prior council; the current council liaison replied that election outcomes and broader community data influenced council decisions. Commissioners emphasized the role of the Planning Commission in doing technical work and public outreach, and staff said recommendations can be remanded or modified by council action.

Planning staff closed with accomplishments from 2025 (three zoning-code amendments, fee updates, an Everett Waterline interlocal agreement, and permitting improvements) and outlined the 2026 work plan: comprehensive-plan docket for 2026, sub-area updates (including industrial-area planning to meet employment targets), critical-area updates, parking and sidewalk strategies, process-code rounds, and targeted housing regulation changes to align with new state guidance. A commissioner asked whether Lake Stevens has pursued CHIP infrastructure funds for affordable housing; staff said no developers had requested city partnership to apply and staff had not pursued CHIP funds to date.

What happens next: staff will bring the 2026 comp-plan docket to council next month, continue sub-area planning work and report back on any legislative developments that would affect local zoning and growth targets.