MUKILTEO—Dozens of elected officials hobnobbed with developers, architects, remodelers, suppliers, manufacturers, and sales and marketing professionals at Snohomish County Elected Officials Reception, hosted by the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) on Tuesday, June 17, at Rosehill Community Center in Mukilteo.
MBAKS is a longstanding organization—established in 1909—that represents builders who are dedicated to promoting accessible housing in the Puget Sound region through advocacy, legislation, community collaboration, and member support.
Snohomish County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Washington state. By 2044, an additional 308,000 residents filling some 171,000 new jobs will need to live in 187,000 new housing options such as condominiums, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), townhomes, and multiplexes, as well as single-family homes, MBAKS shared during its Thursday reception.
To reach its goal of meeting future housing needs, MBAKS focused over the years on advocating for “real housing and permitting reform legislation that was recently passed in Olympia.” Besides its legal team now challenging the Everett Watershed Initiative in court, MBAKS shared some new initiatives and goals which were:
- Enhancing communication and collaboration with utilities to boost efficiency and expedite permits for home builders.
- Preserving key flexibility measures in Snohomish County Critical Areas Ordinance.
- Educating local jurisdictions on the high costs of proposed fire sprinkler mandates.
- Advocating for ordinances to increase building heights, reduce parking requirements, and enhance design flexibility.
- Promoting balanced tree policies, using Snohomish County Code as a regional model.
- Collaborating with elected officials on form-based code projects in Snohomish County to increase zoning flexibility and simplify development processes. Form-Based Coding is a means of regulating land development to achieve a specific urban form.
Featured speaker, Snohomish County Councilman Jared Mead, discussed what he called the greatest challenge in the near future: Maintaining affordable housing while integrating the next generation into communities. Mead advocated streamlined processes, innovative policies, and strong public-private partnerships to meet the housing demands of 308,000 new residents.
“People are moving here for the same reasons that most of the people in this room, including myself, did: Good jobs, great schools, access to nature, and strong communities.,” Mead said. “But with that growth comes some significant growing pains, and we’re seeing that as an issue that we all need to lean in on together, both the public and the private sectors.”
Mead stressed that the foundation of addressing the housing shortage lies in building more homes of all types. “We need more housing stock, period,” he said, calling for a diverse range of options including duplexes, townhomes, apartments, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and single-family homes. “This isn’t about one solution. It’s about a full spectrum of housing choices for people at every stage of their life.”
Highlighting Snohomish County’s recently adopted 2024 Comprehensive Plan, Mead noted efforts to focus urban growth around high-capacity transit areas like Everett, Lynnwood, and Marysville. This approach, he argued, would reduce traffic, preserve open spaces, and provide residents with commuting options.
Mead praised recent state legislation for providing tools to expand housing options. He cited House Bill 1110, which allows for “missing middle” housing like duplexes and fourplexes in urban growth areas, and House Bill 1337, which supports ADUs in residential neighborhoods. Other laws, such as Senate Bill 5184, which now reduces parking requirements to lower development costs, while Senate Bill 5471 promotes missing middle housing in unincorporated urban areas of Snohomish County.
“These policies are well-intended,” Mead said, “but local governments are where we need to make implementation happen.”
Mead concluded by calling for innovation and collaboration to address the “generational problem” of the housing crisis. He encouraged exploring form-based coding, expedited and streamlined permitting, pre-approved designs, and creative uses of rural spaces.
“This is a moment for leadership, both from elected officials and the private sector,” Mead concluded. “We can’t stop the growth, nor should we try. We need to shape it!”
Keynote speaker for the event was Ken Klein, Executive Director of the Snohomish County Executive’s Office, where he outlined ongoing efforts to streamline the County’s permitting processes and provide diverse housing options.
Klein highlighted a 92 percent reduction in late permits by the Snohomish County Planning Department, driven by the passage of Senate Bill 5290, which mandated stricter project review deadlines.
“When PDS implemented its key performance indicator dashboard in September of last year, the number of projects that were between 111 days and 247 days late were 282 projects,” Klein said. “Today that number is down to 21. A report I just got today, the longest one that’s passed through was 13 minutes.”
Staffing improvements, Klein added, also bolstered efficiency. The engineering division, which had nine vacancies in early 2024, is now fully staffed, he said.
Klein concluded by thanking builders for their collaboration, emphasizing the shared goal of making the county a vibrant place to live. “Thank you all for your partnership in making Snohomish County a great place to live, work, and play now and into the future.”
Public officials attending the event were Washington State Senator Marko Liias (D-Edmonds), King County Councilmember De’Sean Quinn, Snohomish County Councilmen Jared Mead and Nate Nehring, Snohomish County Public Utility District Commissioners Julieta Altamirano-Crosby and Sid Logan, Port of Edmonds Commissioner David Preston, Port of Everett Commissioners Glen Bachman, David Simpson, and Tom Stiger, City of Arlington Councilmembers Yvonne Gallardo-Van Ornam and Heather Logan, City of Edmonds Councilwoman Susan Paine, City of Everett Councilmen Scott Bader and Ben Zarlingo, City of Lynnwood Mayor Christine Frizzell along with Councilmembers Josh Binda, George Hurst, and David Parshall, City of Marysville Councilmen Mark James and Michael Stevens, City of Mill Creek Mayor Brian Holtzclaw and Mayor Pro Tem Stephanie Vignal, City of Mukilteo Council Vice President Jason Moon, and council members from Monroe, Mountlake Terrace, Stanwood, and the Town of Woodway.
Author: Mario Lotmore
