The Mountlake Terrace City Council Aug. 22 reviewed the city’s Vision 2024 Comprehensive Plan updates with Senior Planner Jonathan Morales.

During the council meeting, Morales presented the feedback received from residents during an Aug. 12 open house focused on transportation, capital facilities and utilities goals and policies. The growth alternatives were initially presented at the April 25 city council meeting.

Feedback from open house attendees and the Mountlake Terrace Planning Commission shows that Alternative 2 – meeting the state’s growth standards – is preferred over Alternative 3’s exceeding standards.

Alternative 2 would place four- to six-story mixed-use buildings near public transportation nodes, such as Melody Hill, Cascade View and Cedar Plaza.

Morales said that with input from the planning commission and based on water and sewer analysis, “it is fair to assume this is a feasible path for the city.”

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 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.

Morales said if the city does not meet its requirements, “there could be some legal and financial repercussions for the city in terms of being eligible for grant funding.”

The proposed draft updates include the following:

Transportation:

1. Enhance the safety and connectivity of the Mountlake Terrace transportation system for all users regardless of mode and ability.
2. Increase climate resiliency by reducing vehicle miles traveled, promoting sustainability, reducing pollution, and supporting clean air and water.
3. Provide a complete active transportation network for all ages and abilities.
4. Balance transportation decisions for freight mobility and active modes of transportation while meeting community and regional needs for the movement of goods.
5. Effectively manage and maintain transportation assets.

Utilities:

1. Coordinate with third-party service providers to deliver adequate services to meet the community’s needs.
2. Encourage third-party service providers to build infrastructure compatible with land uses and a changing environment.

Capital Facilities:

1. Plan for and provide services and facilities to serve future population and job growth.
2. Work with public and private development to construct improvements necessary to support new development.
3. Ensure efficient, sustainable, and resilient capital facilities and systems.
4. Maintain and plan for future capital improvements with sound fiscal management.
5. Plan for and provide effective emergency management and public safety services and facilities.
6. Design facilities and establish programs and partnerships that promote equity, community health and social well-being.

The Aug. 12 open house feedback regarding transportation showed that residents have a strong interest in the Complete Streets concept, safer routes to school and travel demand management. The participants also expressed support for connectivity between all neighborhood centers, amenities, transit, parks and open spaces.

Complete Streets are streets designed and operated to enable safe use and support mobility for all users. Those include people of all ages and abilities, regardless of whether they are drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists or public transportation riders. Travel demand management, meanwhile, is a set of actions or strategies aimed at encouraging travelers to use alternatives to driving alone, especially at the most congested times of the day.

Public feedback supported electric vehicles, public charging stations, and a bicycle and pedestrian advisory board. However, open house participants also expressed concerns over local and regional coordination on key transportation issues and parking impacts.

In addition, attendees supported placing current and future power lines underground and offering publicly available WiFi internet.

They also showed support for renewable energy sources and addressing carbon impacts, as well as educational opportunities on waste management and support for composting.

On the topic of capital facilities, feedback reflected support for acquiring new parks and open space and interest in education on water quality, affordability and rate studies. Further, it supported addressing climate change and mitigating impacts with a coordinated approach.

Attendees also expressed a desire  to identify underserved areas for access to public services and leverage partnerships for the availability of human services providers.

The next steps in the city’s Comprehensive Plan update process are:

Sept. 9: A planning commission public hearing on the recommendations for the Vision 2044 Comprehensive Plan and Environmental Impact Statement drafts.

Sept. 12-26: A formal review process with the Mountlake Terrace City Council.

Oct. 16: A tentatively scheduled city council public hearing and vote on adopting the Vision 2044 Comprehensive Plan and Environment Impact Statement.

In other council business Aug. 22, Recreation and Parks Director Jeff Betz presented options for the aging Recreation Pavilion.

Three options were presented to the council. Option 1 is to do nothing, which will cost the most over time, as some equipment parts are no longer available. Option 2 is to renovate the building, which is nearly impossible due to the building’s construction. Option 3 is to replace the pavilion completely.

You can read more about the Rec Pavilion discussion here.

The city council also voted to approve the Sound Transit performance guarantee. This is the last official step required for the agency to take ownership of the light rail station, which will open on Aug. 30.

The city council held  an executive session – closed to the public – to discuss litigation or potential litigation.

The next council meeting will start at 7 p.m., Sept. 5 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