Lake Stevens planning commission reviews subarea updates as state bill could allow ground-floor housing in commercial zones

Senior planner Troy Davis told the Lake Stevens Planning Commission that Text Amendment 1 on the 2026 docket would make technical updates to three subarea plans to align zoning maps, tables and capacity calculations with the city’s 2024 comprehensive plan. Troy Davis said staff will draft policy and code amendments, post draft documents online for public review, provide required 60‑day notice to the Washington State Department of Commerce and hold public hearings before council adoption.

Troy described an immediate wrinkle: Senate Bill 6026, which staff said would require cities within roughly 18 months of the governor’s signature to allow residential uses in commercial zones, including expanded ground‑floor residential in some cases. "Essentially what that is gonna do is force cities within the next 18 months — provided the governor signs it — to allow residential development in our commercial zones," Troy said, adding that the bill could permit ground‑floor residential…