Council hears extended public testimony as staff outline six‑month interim paid‑parking plan

Lynnwood — City planning staff presented an interim paid‑parking ordinance at the Lynnwood City Council’s May 11 meeting and heard nearly two hours of public testimony about whether short‑term paid parking should be allowed in commercial zones.

The proposal, introduced by community planning staff, would permit paid surface parking only where a principal building use already exists — not as a new stand‑alone paved lot — and would be effective five days after publication for a period of 180 days to let the city study outcomes before deciding whether to continue or revise the program. Staff stressed the ordinance is intended as an interim tool to manage peak demand near the light‑rail station and large events.

Why it matters: Councilors said the City needs options to reduce vehicle congestion and avoid large numbers of unauthorized cars near the Lynnwood Transit Center during events such as the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Opponents warned an interim change could become permanent without firm limits and urged clearer guardrails on pricing, signage and zoning impacts.

At the hearing, staff said the draft is limited to commercial zones (city center, Alderwood, neighborhood commercial and similar zones) and includes language intended to prevent tearing down existing buildings to create new parking. The table in the draft ordinance identifies the zones where “surface public paid parking” would be an interim permitted use, and staff said sales and use tax would apply to revenues generated by paid parking.

Speakers from the public voiced three recurring concerns: that Sound Transit should provide more parking capacity; that an interim six‑month allowance could be effectively grandfathered into long‑term use absent explicit limits; and that enforcement and rate‑setting could leave drivers facing unexpectedly high fees or towing. Ted Hickel and other residents said the city should be cautious about turning redevelopment sites into long‑term parking; they asked whether a Planning Commission hearing had taken place and whether enforcement and signage rules were sufficiently clear.

Hotel and business representatives urged the council to approve a short‑term program to cover peak demand. Chip Peterson, a hotel general manager and member of the lodging‑tax advisory process, said the city faces an immediate need for temporary parking capacity through the busy season and large events, and called the staff plan “well thought out” for short‑term relief.

Councilors asked staff to track potential revenue uses — one member suggested dedicated spending on pedestrian and bicycle improvements — and pressed staff for enforcement data and evidence on whether paid parking would simply push cars to nearby free lots. Staff said much of current enforcement is private (towing from private property) and that the interim designation will let the city gather data about enforcement, utilization, and market responses before proposing permanent code changes.

What’s next: Staff told the council they will continue outreach to property owners, hotels and Sound Transit, and will return with findings and possible refinements after the interim period. The council did not take a final vote on the paid‑parking ordinance on May 11; the item remains under consideration.