The Mountlake Terrace City Council at its May 20 business meeting unanimously approved a proposed 12-unit townhome development at 4907 216th Pl. S.W.

The vote on the New Terrace Townhomes came after the council held a public hearing on the proposal, which drew testimony from a nearby resident who expressed concerns that the new development will cause parking issues for neighbors.

New Terrace Townhomes is located at the northeast corner of 216th Place Southwest and 50th Avenue West. The existing lot is 0.6 of an acre and was developed with one single-family home that has since been demolished.

Each townhome has three bedrooms, requiring 24 on-site resident parking spaces and one ADA guest space. City staff stated that under the proposal, the applicant will provide two parking spaces in each townhome garage, and a guest parking space will be located along the south side of the east building. A condition associated with the development is a requirement that homeowners park in the provided garages, rather than on the public street, the council was told.

In other business, during the public comment period, the council heard from a woman who lives in the 5700 block of 236th Street Southwest, directly next to the Main Street construction project, and is worried about the safety of her children as they try cross the street to get to the school bus. Twice, the mother said, her 12-year-old daughter has nearly been struck by a car.

Councilmembers discussed a range of solutions to the issue, including discussions with the contractor working on the project and MLT police to see if there are ways to increase safety when children are catching the school bus. Councilmember Seaun Richards also suggested the family contact the Edmonds School District Transportation Department to see if they could identify a safer pickup spot for the couple’s children.

“If you don’t see improvements, please let us know,” said Mayor Kyoko Matsumoto Wright. “This is just the beginning of a long stretch of roadway that we’re going to be making for the Town Center, and so we really want to remember that we’re learning our lesson.

“We need to hear from people. Otherwise, we’re not going to know,” the mayor added.

— By Teresa Wippel