Medical Lake holds public hearing and approves first reading of ordinance 11-49 updating transportation and parking rules

The Medical Lake City Council opened a public hearing on July 7 on proposed amendments to multiple titles of the municipal code covering parking, concurrency, private streets, planned unit developments and the commute trip reduction plan, and approved the ordinance—s first reading.

Planning staff summarized the changes as a package intended to align the updated zoning districts (adopted earlier) with off-street parking standards, move the city—s commute-trip reduction program into personnel policy, and add clear concurrency chapters for streets, water and sewer. "This is our third time discussing transportation related amendments," staff told the council, noting the Planning Commission had unanimously recommended approval.

The council heard no in-person public comment during the hearing on the transportation amendments and closed the hearing. Councilmember [mover] read the ordinance title into the record and moved the 1st reading. "I would move to approve ordinance 11-49," a council member said; another council member seconded. The first reading passed on a voice vote and the ordinance will return for a second reading before final adoption.

City staff also presented the six-year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) update during the meeting and the council adopted the TIP (resolution 26815) to identify priority projects and support grant competitiveness.

Council members noted that passage of the ordinance on final reading will require a majority of the full council and that staff will return with the second reading and any technical edits identified during the review process.

No final code changes were adopted at this meeting; the 1st reading moves the process forward and gives staff direction to prepare the ordinance for the required second reading and final vote.