The Mountlake Terrace City Council held the first formal review of the city’s Vision 2024 Comprehensive Plan during its Sept. 12 meeting.

The review was presented by Senior Planner Jonathan Morales, Community, Economic Development Director Christy Osborn and Otak consultant Mandi Roberts. It  covered the project status and schedule, the environmental impact study (EIS) feedback, responses to questions received during the Aug. 22 council meeting, and a review of the draft plan’s content.

The plan alternatives include:

Alternative 1 is the status quo, which doesn’t meeting the state Growth Management Act (GMA) requirements.

Alternative 2 meets the state’s growth standards and has four- to six-story mixed-use buildings near public transportation nodes, such as Melody Hill, Cascade View and Cedar Plaza. Further, the map extends the transition zone for townhouses, fourplexes and three- to four-story middle housing.

Alternative 3 recalibrates zoning on the north side of the Cascade View neighborhood. Where six- to eight-story transit-oriented developments (TOD) were initially proposed, four- to six-story mixed-use buildings have been added. The mixed-use zoning is more flexible in allowing businesses and residents to occupy space.

Among the comments submitted regarding the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS), the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) said it supports Alternative 2 to meet affordability and growth targets. The DEIS also listed one commenter who supported Alternative 1, which is to grow the Town Center slowly. However, staff said there are significant ramifications for that.

“That is not something we can move forward with because it would have some financial and legal consequences for the city,” Morales said.

Another commenter favored Alternative 3 to promote investment from developers. That commenter is also against the one-parking-spot-per-unit requirement.

Still another DEIS commenter said to consider the impact housing has on current residents, and to only allow what is necessary. Further, the commenter wanted to see more effort put into transportation and the environment, which will continue to impact residents.

The DEIS also included feedback from the West Plaza Ownership Group, which advocates for stopping the planned extension of 57th Avenue West.

In addition, the presentation answered questions frequently asked during the open houses. For example:With middle housing legislation, how many single-family middle housing units and how many ADUs (accessory dwelling units) does the analysis assume?

Morales said that the calculations assumed about 5% of eligible lots would include ADUs, 10% of eligible lots would consist of duplexes, and 20% would convert to fourplexes and aggregate to more medium-density residential after 20 years.

There are 19,141 total housing units assumed under Alternative 2 and 26,760 under Alternative 3.

Morales said that Alternative 3 would be difficult to implement, primarily due to the increased level of water and sanitary sewer capacity, facilities and improvements needed to serve the increased population.  Further, it would be challenging to fund and implement to this level by 2044, he said.

The Mountlake Terrace Planning Board is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the Monday, Sept. 23, after which is will make recommendations to the council. Councilmembers will continue to discuss the draft plan Sept. 26, with a part-two review of the remaining plan elements and discussion of the planning commission’s recommendations.

A review of the recommended land use map is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 3, with a public hearing and vote scheduled for the Oct. 16 city council meeting.

The Comprehensive Plan is a document that guides the city’s decisions over a 20-year time period, serving as a blueprint for development. It is also meant to reflect the vision and priorities of the city and its residents while meeting the requirements of state and federal law.

Washington State’s Growth Management Act (GMA) requires that cities and counties update their Comprehensive Plans on a periodic schedule. The purpose of the 2024 update is to ensure the city is planning for the next 20 years of population and employment growth. It gives the city an opportunity to review and revise the plan and development regulations to ensure they comply with GMA requirements.

In other business Sept. 12, the council reviewed the draft Economic Development Strategic Plan, developed in conjunction with the Vision 2044 Comprehensive Plan. The plan provides a roadmap for the city to strengthen its economic health.

Presented by David Fiske of Leland Consulting, the research shows that local jobs are in slow-growing sectors and that a lack of housing and land availability will limit economic growth. Further, the capacity for future growth will primarily depend on denser development within the Town Center and urban core.

Fiske said that continued implementation of the Town Center Subarea Plan is vital to the city’s future economic development and added that local businesses make the community distinct.

The plan includes the following strategies:

Strategy 1 is to enhance Mountlake Terrace’s image as a destination for business with branding and marketing to help draw new interest from investors.

Strategy 2 supports local and small businesses as a pillar of the economy.

Strategy 3 invests in Mountlake Terrace Town Center as a hub of local and regional economic activity.

The city council will hold a public hearing and vote on the Economic Development Strategic Plan during its Thursday, Sept. 19 meeting.

The city council also approved a resolution to accept a $180,000 grant agreement for electric vehicles from the Washington State Department of Commerce.

City staff contracted with McKinstry to analyze locations to ascertain installation costs. This analysis determined that rough cost estimates would range from $452,800 to $658,100 for all locations.

Recreation and Parks Director Jeff Betz said costs include utility work, trenching, upgrading electrical panels, running conduit and other work. The city allocated $250,000 in match funds in 2023, but the available funds fell short of completing all sites.

Betz said that the city downsized the project to focus on where the charging stations would benefit most people and be cost-effective to install. The Recreation Pavilion proved difficult due to the concrete construction and aging infrastructure.

The funds are allocated as follows:

– Civic Campus $90,000

– Operations Building $60,000

– Recreation Pavilion $30,000

Under the grant agreement, the project must be completed by Sept. 26, 2025.

The next council meeting will start at 7 p.m., Sept. 19, at Mountlake Terrace City Hall, 23204 58th Ave. W., Mountlake Terrace.

To attend the meeting online, visit zoom.us/join and enter meeting ID 810 1113 9518; no passcode is needed.

To make a public comment remotely, complete the registration form within 24 hours of the meeting’s start at cityofmlt.com/FormCenter/City-Council-17/Remote-Public-Comment-Request-Form-12.

To listen via telephone, call 1-253-215-8782 and enter the same meeting ID.

You also can view live-streamed meetings and past video recordings at www.youtube.com/cityofmlt.

The agenda can be viewed here.

— By Rick Sinnett