Consultant proposes expanding Lyman's urban growth area and transportation funding guidance; Jan. 26 workshop set

Eric Jensen of EJ Municipal told the Town of Lyman council on Jan. 13 that two revisions are needed to the town's draft comprehensive plan: "The first revision is to address the need for expanding the Town's Urban Growth area to accommodate more residential growth adjacent to the Town's current boundary," and the second is to more fully address funding approaches for transportation investments following feedback from the Skagit Council of Governments.

Mayor Eddie Hills and council members agreed to attend a workshop on Jan. 26, 2026, to go over and finalize the proposed revisions and to review a draft Critical Areas Ordinance. The minutes record that Jensen proposed that date specifically for the workshop and that the mayor and council "agreed to attend the workshop." The minutes do not record any formal vote or changes to the draft plan at the Jan. 13 meeting.

The changes Jensen described would alter the town's Urban Growth Area boundary to allow more residential development adjacent to existing limits and would expand the plan's treatment of transportation funding strategies in response to regional feedback. The minutes mention the Skagit Council of Governments as the source of comments on the Transportation Element but do not summarize their specific recommendations. No funding amounts, zoning map edits, or formal adoption timeline were recorded in the minutes.

Next steps recorded in the minutes: the council will convene the Jan. 26 workshop to finalize language and review the Critical Areas Ordinance draft; no implementation dates or public hearing schedules were provided in the Jan. 13 minutes.