Normandy Park council advances three ordinances to second reading; major changes proposed for stormwater and telecom codes

At its May 12 meeting the Normandy Park City Council advanced three ordinance updates to a second reading and proposed adoption on June 9, 2026.

Ordinance 10-87 (first reading) would amend Titles 10, 13 and 18 to align several code sections with the 2024 Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington and to clarify impervious-surface and hard-surface rules. Staff described the principal operational change as setting the engineered-drainage-plan trigger at 2,000 square feet of new or replaced impervious surface. Planning staff Jeremy told the council the 2,000-square-foot threshold is drawn from the stormwater manual and will mean projects that add or replace that amount of hard surface must include engineered drainage plans. “So whenever a project proposes to either add 2,000 square feet or replace up to that amount… they would be required to engineer drainage plan,” Jeremy said. Councilmember Mike Bischoff pressed for detail and warned of unintended burdens on small-property owners, asking whether residential properties could face new requirements. Staff clarified that the 2,000-sq-ft trigger applies to impervious surface changes and that overlays typically count as maintenance (not replacement) while full removal and replacement would trigger the requirement.

Ordinance 10-88 would modernize the city’s telecommunications code to create clearer review paths for different wireless facility types, encourage colocation and set standards for siting and visual impacts in residential neighborhoods. Jeremy said the draft strikes a balance between facilitating wireless infrastructure and preserving residential character; Councilmember Susan West asked whether the update would erode environmental, design or homeowner privacy protections. Jeremy and City Manager Amy replied that the draft preserves local design and environmental protections where legally permissible but acknowledged there are limits to what the city can regulate under federal law.

Ordinance 10-89 would amend rules for professional public-fireworks displays (not consumer fireworks) to adjust hours and explicitly allow permitted public displays on July 3. Police Chief Dan explained the change is limited to professional displays on the city’s approved list and does not affect consumer fireworks rules.

Votes at a glance: the council moved, seconded and approved sending all three ordinances to a second reading with proposed adoption at the June 9, 2026 meeting; no final adoptions occurred at the May 12 session.

What’s next: Each ordinance will return for a second reading and possible adoption on June 9, 2026; staff will provide any requested clarifications (for example, how the 2,000-sq-ft threshold applies to residential maintenance vs. replacement).