The Mountlake Terrace Planning Commission is scheduled to consider changes related to the Town Center Subarea Plan Map Amendment and Concurrent Zoning Map Amendment.

The proposed map amendments affect 17 properties in the Downtown Community Business (BC/D) district (aka Town Center) surrounding the intersection of 56th Ave. W. and 236th St. SW. The specific proposals are:

• To amend the Comprehensive Plan and Town Center Subarea Plan Map by changing the current mix of land use or “Building Prototype” designations to a single “Building Prototype” designation of “Medium Mixed Use A(5),” and;
• To amend the Downtown Community Business (BC/D) Building Districts Type (Zoning) Map designations, from a mix of “Building Type Districts C, D and E”, to “Building Type District B”.

Allowed building heights in the subject area range from three stories in the Transitional and Small Mixed Use areas, to four stories in the Medium Mixed Use areas. The proposed amendments would expand the five story building height allowance across the proposed expanded area of District B, resulting in more equally sized and similarly configured building districts on each corner of the 56th & 236th Street intersection.

Also, some properties currently require mixed-use buildings and some properties allow or require two-three story live/work or townhome units. The proposed designations would require all new development to be mixed-use (commercial on the ground floor and residential above). The proposal would create an intersection where a similar sized area of approximately 1-1/2 acres at each quadrant of the intersection would have the same land use and zoning designation and be treated equally.

At the last Planning Commission meeting, City staff presented a PowerPoint illustrating various components of successful retailing in town centers. Staff identified zoning code and comprehensive plan amendments that will be crucial to ensure that the objectives of Mountlake Terrace’s Town Center are achieved. In response, the Commission directed staff to bring back a list of zoning text amendments for immediate consideration, and also a list of Comprehensive Plan amendments to include in the 2015 Comp Plan amendment process.

The Planning Commission meeting is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers.