LYNNWOOD, Wash., February 10, 2022 – Lynnwood City Council discussed their 2024 comprehensive plan update, PARC plan 2022 update, and a resolution to confirm emergency proclamation at their Work Session Monday, February, 7.

Comprehensive plan update

Ashley Winchell, AICP, Community Planning Manager, and David Kleitsch, Development and Business Services Director, briefed council on the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update, presenting the Community Planning Division’s progress working with consultants and Otak. Through their efforts the project team plans to work with all city departments to coordinate adoption of their updated plan, as well as lead an engagement effort to receive community input.

The state of Washington requires cities in Pierce, King, and Snohomish Counties to update their comprehensive plan every eight years, per the Growth Management Act, adopted by Washington State legislature in 1990 to address urban sprawl. Under this requirement, Lynnwood must update their comprehensive plan by June 30, 2024, and every eight years thereafter.

By 2044, the city of Lynnwood is projected to have a population of at least 65,000 residents. With the Sound Transit extensions presenting more accessibility to Everett and Seattle than ever, the comprehensive plan aims to anticipate Lynnwood’s new responsibility as regional transit hub, while maintaining a sense of community and being sensitive to race and social equity during the planning process.

In order to adjust planning for growth since Lynnwood’s last adopted comprehensive plan in 2015, an additional, almost, 8,000 residents need to be accounted for and factored into the comprehensive plan.

Community Planning asked the community last year how they would like to be engaged moving forward and are working on a memo to present to council as part of its engagement plan.

Going forward council will be updated on the plan’s progress, through presentations and updates, on May 16, September 19, and November 7.

PARC plan 2022 update

Sara Olsen, Deputy Director for City of Lynnwood Parks, presented to council the Parc Plan 2022 update, which included updates on upcoming projects from 2022 through 2024, as well as the needed increase in city park space.

Lynnwood Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Arts is responsible for nearly 420 ares of City parks, athletic fields, trails, open space lands and other civic sites.

The proposed level of service for the city of Lynnwood is 3.5 acres for every 1,000 residents. Since the population of the city is projected to increase to 45,319 residents in the next four years, this leaves the city only 84 percent to standard by 2026.

Olsen also presented near term capital projects that are undergoing either planning, design, or construction leading into the next few years that include.

2021/2022 Projects:

• Park and Trail Comprehensive Plan (ParksLove Project): Planning
• Strategic Acquisitions: Planning
• Meadowdale Playground Replacement and ADA Access: Design
• Rowe Park: Design
• Scriber Creek Trail Phase 3
• Scriber Lake Park Boardwalk Trail
• Veterans Park
• Deferred Maintenance: Construction
• Heritage Park Water Tower: Construction
• Scriber Creek Trail Phase 2: Construction

2023/2024 Projects:

• Park and Trail Comprehensive Plan: Planning
• Recreation Facilities Plan: Planning
• Strategic Acquisition: Planning
• Trail Master Planning: Planning
• Interurban Trail Improvements: Design
• Senior Center Expansion: Design
• Deferred Maintenance and Playground Replacements: Construction
• Scriber Creek Trail Phase 2 and 3: Construction
• Scriber Lake Park Boardwalk Trail: Construction

Councilman Jim Smith suggested the development of Rowe Park be prioritized above others for its importance to the disabled community. Sara Olsen explained that Parks and Recreation will return to council in March and further conversation can be had then.

Parks and Recreation Advisory Board recommend the council approve the 2016 – 2035 PARC Plan 2022 update by resolution. The item will return to Council at their February 14, Business Meeting.

Resolution to confirm emergency proclamation

City Clerk Karen Fitzthum closed out Monday’s work session by identifying that the existing Lynnwood emergency proclamation was outdated and in need of an update.

The proclamation grants the City broad police powers “to make and enforce within its limits all such local police, sanitary and other regulations as are in conflict with general laws” under the Mayor’s declaration of emergency.

Councilman Jim Smith adamantly disagreed with the proclamation arguing that the spread of COVID is “on its way out” and should no longer be considered an emergency.

“We are at the end of this pandemic, and I don’t think we need to bring in another two-year-old resolution supporting this emergency,” Councilman Smith said.

Although Councilwoman Sessions agreed with Councilman Smith that she no longer believed the COVID outbreak is an emergency, she did agree that the resolution should be signed to bring the proclamation up-to-date.

Councilman Decker added that a “terminus” or expiration date would make him more comfortable in voting for it, seconded by Councilwoman Sessions.

The Lynnwood City Council agreed that the termination time should be 90 days from the Mayor’s declaration.