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Lynnwood staff outline major revisions to Critical Areas Ordinance, seek council adoption in August
Summary
Planning staff proposed reorganizing Lynnwood's Critical Areas Ordinance to match state guidance, tighten wetland/stream buffers and require expanded critical-area reports; staff told council a public hearing is scheduled and recommended adoption on Aug. 10.
Planning staff briefed the Lynnwood City Council on a proposed update to the city's Critical Areas Ordinance aimed at aligning local rules with the Growth Management Act and Ecology guidance. City planning staff said the package reorganizes regulations into the Unified Development Code, revises wetland and stream buffers, clarifies reasonable-use exemptions for constrained lots, and keeps building setbacks at 15 feet.
Carl Ongren, the staff presenter, told the council Ecology has grants tied to the wastewater-treatment-plant expansion and that state reviewers asked for the updated ordinance. Ongren said the draft increases the threshold for requiring a critical-area report from 200 feet to 300 feet in some cases and adds preservation and enhancement columns to wetland-compensation tables to follow Ecology guidance. "We're proposing to increase that requirement for a critical-area report to match our maximum buffer of 300 feet," Ongren said. He added that most of the changes are administrative reorganizations, while substantive updates focus on buffers and clarifications for wetland/stream protections.
Council members pressed staff about permitting impacts and developer concerns. Council Vice President Escamilla asked whether the 15-foot building setback has led to permit challenges; Ongren said the 15-foot setback historically has not been the primary limiting factor, and that stricter buffer management prevents long-term encroachment: "When I worked at other jurisdictions where we had a 0 setback, you couldn't walk around the side of the house," he said, arguing the greater setback is more durable over decades.
Staff noted the planning commission held a public hearing on July 1, received no oral testimony, and recommended adoption; staff said written public comments were included in the council packet and that they expect to ask the council to consider adoption on Aug. 10. The presentation closed with staff offering to return with additional changes based on legal cleanup and stakeholder feedback.
