Mill Creek council backs incentive-based South Town Center plan, directs staff to design incentives
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Summary
The council voted to advance Alternative 3a — an incentive-based subarea plan that ties additional building height and other bonuses to public benefits such as parks, affordable-for-sale units or anchor retail — for environmental review. The measure passed 5-1-1 and staff will return with incentive details and phasing.
The Mill Creek City Council voted to adopt Alternative 3a as the preferred development scenario for the South Town Center subarea, advancing an incentive-based approach that permits greater heights in exchange for public benefits.
Staff presented three options and recommended Alternative 3a, which keeps a baseline 60-foot (roughly five-story) envelope but allows developers to seek up to 85 feet (about seven stories) if they provide specified public benefits such as dedicated public open space, for-sale housing, anchor retail or additional public parking. Community Development and Planning Director Jeff Ryan told the council that staff and the planning commission viewed 3a as the option most likely to balance redevelopment with community priorities: “Staff recommendation is alternative 3 a.”
Council debate focused on parking, pedestrian character, and risk of piecemeal development. Council member Steckler said he was not comfortable with 3a's current level of detail and wanted clearer limits and controls: “I feel like there's some other components here or controls factors that we need to talk about,” he said. Other council members pushed for the incentive route as a way to both attract development and secure public benefits the city wants.
Mayor Pro Tem Duque moved the resolution to advance 3a for environmental review and staff direction; the motion passed with five votes in favor, one no vote and one abstention. After the vote, council asked staff to return with a study session on the incentive menu, including examples of benefits that would earn additional height and protections to avoid the long, monolithic building forms critics cited in other local developments.
What comes next: staff will prepare incentive detail options and a phasing plan for council review, and the preferred alternative will be carried forward into the draft environmental impact statement and later design-guideline work.
Who said it (selection): Jeff Ryan, Community Development and Planning Director (presentation); Mitch (planner on team); Council member Steckler (concerned about controls); Mayor Pro Tem Duque (moved the motion).
The council'9s direction does not itself change zoning; it establishes a preferred alternative for environmental review and further policy work.
