Council opens hearing on airport zoning amendment to shrink side-yard setbacks

The Enumclaw City Council opened a public hearing at 7:07 p.m. and heard a staff report on Ordinance 28-37, a package of municipal-code amendments for the city’s airport zoning district. Winston Larson, the city’s senior planner, said the ordinance would reduce minimum side-yard setbacks from 20 feet to 10 feet and would amend a footnote to permit structures up to 18 feet high where the airport zoning district abuts residential property.

Larson said the changes are intended to align development standards with aviation operations and surrounding uses, and to implement elements of the city’s 2024 comprehensive plan. "These proposed amendments contribute to the implementation of our existing 2024 comprehensive plan by offering clearer and more adaptable development standards within the airport zoning district," Larson said.

Larson told council the planning commission reviewed the draft amendments and, on April 23, 2026, recommended council approval. He outlined three council options: adopt the ordinance as presented, direct staff to continue review, or modify and adopt as amended. No members of the public offered testimony at the hearing, and the mayor closed the hearing at 7:12 p.m.

Because the item was a first reading, council did not take final action; staff said it was prepared to answer council questions and proceed to additional readings if the council wished.

The council packet included findings and a staff report describing how the amendments satisfy the municipal code’s consistency criteria, and staff noted the item was added to this year’s work plan after a January request to reduce setbacks. The council did not debate changes in detail during the hearing; council members were invited to return questions to staff or address them at a future meeting.